FCB #014: Delegate & Automate For Business Success

INTRODUCTION

If you'd like your business to excel, ask yourself the following questions:

• Are you wearing too many hats in your business?
• Is your office manager trying to do things they’re not expert at?
• Are your professional staff doing tasks that should be delegated?
• Are many of your key business processes being handled manually?

If you answered “Yes” to one or more of these, this article is for you! Making sure the following processes are systemized, delegated, and automated is one of the best uses of your time and best investments you can make in your business.

DELEGATION & AUTOMATION

Creating a scalable and valuable business requires it to run independently from you so you're not a bottleneck to its growth. You do this by systemizing key business processes, building a world-class team, and delegating effectively.

Here are some key tasks or functions that you should make sure are documented, delegated, ourtsourced, and automated. Doing so will allow you and your team to focus on what you do best and free up your time.

Appointment Scheduling

You, as the business owner, should delegate appointment scheduling and meeting management to your office manager or virtual assistant (VA).

This function can now be automated using Calendly, an automated online scheduling tool. Calendly users save an average of 4 hours each week or 200 hours per year. That's equivalent to twenty-five (25) 8-hour work days a year!

Would you like to have more free time? Then start using Calendly today!

Email Processing

First, as a savvy business owner, please read The 4-Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferris if you haven't already. Read his “Holy Grail: How to Outsource the Inbox and Never Check Email Again.” It's brilliant and it works!

Then, you should delegate processing of your emails to your VA using Ferris’ email-outsourcing system. Do this and you'll save at least an additional 25 work days each year! Now, go take that 10-week vacation you've always wanted!

Everyone in your business should also be using Bulletproof Inbox or similar software. Bulletproof Inbox automatically builds an approved senders list based on your email history. Only legitimate senders are allowed into your inbox.

New senders automatically go to an evaluating folder and are asked why they're sending you an email. New senders must do the work on their end before you waste your precious time processing useless emails. More saved time for you!

Meetings

In any organization, coordinating company meetings is difficult. Although some company meetings are necessary, not all are or need to be held in person. And not all information needs to be shared in a meeting format.

Two software tools you can use for more effective meetings are Zoom and Loom. Zoom is a communications platform that allows users to connect via video, audio, phone, and chat.

Loom is a video messaging tool that helps you get your message across through shareable videos instead of time-consuming company, team, or one-on-one meetings.

You can save countless hours a year for you and your team using these two communication tools. Time saved and used more productively means greater growth and profitability for you and your business!

Bookkeeping & Accounting

Is your office manager still doing your books and accounting? You should outsource these tasks to a virtual bookkeeping/accounting service. This frees up your office manager for key systemization and admin tasks only they can do.

Most bookkeepers and accountants use QuickBooks Online or similar software to automate a lot of the bookkeeping and accounting process. QuickBooks Online can automate and integrate the following:

• Invoicing & Payment Reminders
• Bank & Credit Card Feeds
• Expense Tracking
• Payroll Integration
• Online Payments
• Bank Reconciliation
• Sales Tax Automation
• Financial Reporting & Dashboards
• Integrate with CRM & Time Tracking Apps

HR & Benefits Administration

Most small businesses are not HR and benefits administration experts. Handling payroll, employee policies, health insurance, and 401K administration is highly specialized. Mistakes in these areas can really cost you!

Leave these key business functions to a Professional Employer Organization (PEO). A good PEO company will provide a small business with expert, professional, and more cost-effective HR services including:

• HR Administration
• Payroll Processing
• Employee Benefits
• Compliance Reporting
• HR Technology Solutions
• Risk Management & Safety
• Employee Onboarding & Offboarding
• HR Compliance & Regulatory Support
• Employee Relations & Conflict Resolution

IT Managed Services

Similarly, most business owners and office managers are not IT experts. You should hire a good IT managed services company and delegate to true IT experts the following critical and highly specialized business functions:

• Network Infrastructure Management
• Data Backup & Disaster Recovery
• Help Desk & Technical Support
• IT Infrastructure Monitoring
• IT Vendor Management
• Security Management
• IT Strategy & Planning
• Cloud Services & Virtualization
• Software & Application Management
• IT Consulting & Project Management

Professional Staff Support

Delegation and automation go well beyond you as the business owner and your office manager. Your company’s professional staff should also be focusing on what only they can do and leverage trained assistants to do all the rest.

Every successful professional services firm has support assistants that their highly credentialed professional staff can leverage such as:

• Paralegals
• Financial Analysts
• Engineering Technicians
• Marketing Coordinators
• Appraisal Assistants
• Medical Assistants
• IT Technicians
• HR Assistants

CONCLUSION

If you want your business to be more successful, focus yourself and your team on tasks that only you can do, and systemize, delegate, outsource, and automate the rest. Start doing this and you will see your business grow like never before!

Leverage is the key to successfully scaling your business.

Start implementing these tips today and watch your business soar!

Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:

1. Founder Coffee Break Newsletter - Every Saturday morning, I share practical guidance to help you systemize, improve, and grow your business. Join 425+ subscribers here => https://lnkd.in/eBqvHDtY.

2. Founder Coaching Program - With my 6-month Founder Coaching Program, you'll get ten 90-minute Zoom meetings with me one-on-one! I will teach you how to systemize, delegate, and automate so you have more free time!

3. Strategic Planning Facilitation - Bring me in to facilitate a 2-day strategic planning retreat. I will help you and your leadership team implement our proven Founder Operating System (FOS) for greater business growth and success.