Being a small business owner is difficult. Many believe money, resources, and knowledge will be their biggest obstacle, but usually it’s simply that we do not have enough time. The number one way to become more productive and free up more time is through automation. With that in mind, below are 5 of the top ways to automate processes within a small business.
IVR for Customer Service
Interactive Voice Response (IVR) is a great way to take the load off your customer service resources. Companies like aircall aim provide the systems that can help identify customers, route their calls, and create a better workflow. For example, a customer may ring and want technical support, but they’re clogging up the sales line. A simple “press 2 for technical support” can help waste time, and potentially point customers towards outsourced customer service in an automated way.
Social media
Social media is vital to most small businesses as it can be a way to directly connect to customers and grow your web traffic. However, it can quickly become a burden, because replying to customer responses and emails is very time-consuming – particularly for those with a large following or who invest heavily in PPC. Using software to set up automatic replies – even if it’s just a “we have received your message and will get back to you shortly” – saves a lot of time, as well as scheduling the postings so that they can be done in batches.
Accounting
Keeping track of sales, expenses, and general accounts is an issue every business owner runs into. Whilst we can outsource this to a bookkeeper or accountant to an extent, some management and record keeping is still required. This is where software can help. For example, using a bank that can automatically detect and categorise transactions. Tracking expenses, invoicing, and preparing financial reports can all be automated.
Online booking
Businesses in hospitality and the service industry often have to deal with constant scheduling and bookings. An online, cloud-based booking system can help resolve many of the errors, inconsistencies, and management of such bookings. In fact, the online booking form will mean no human input is required and our calendars are automatically updated. This reduces the risk of double bookings, missing appointments, and generally streamlines the booking process – it’s not the first time that customer service improves due to automation.
Digital menus
Updating menus is something small businesses try and do as little as possible. It’s time-consuming, but it means missing out on seasonal offers, updated prices, and having a fresh unique menu all of the time. However, digital menus that are accessed through a QR code are much easier to update. Plus, these can be directly connected to the POS system, meaning that sales can be processed easily too with the new menu.
Final word
Automation isn’t a way to cut corners. It’s a way to improve customer experience whilst benefiting from streamlined workflow and processes. Automation can mean CEOs and managers spend less time on menial tasks and more time on areas that really bring value to the business, like idea generation and company culture.
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
Known for identifying cutting edge technologies, he is currently a Co-Founder of a startup and fundraiser for high potential early-stage companies. He is the Head of Research for Allocations for deep technology investments and an Angel Investor at Space Angels.
A frequent speaker at corporations, he has been a TEDx speaker, a Singularity University speaker and guest at numerous interviews for radio and podcasts. He is open to public speaking and advising engagements.