When you think of automation, your mind may jump to sci-fi films and dystopian realities, but automation is something you encounter every day. Automation streamlines everyday tasks and utilizes technology to do so. Whether it’s the self-checkout at the supermarket or the contactless voyage of your Uber order from the restaurant to your front door, automation is everywhere, and it can help your small business in innovative ways.
While automation may have gotten a negative reputation, it can be effectively used to enhance human-led projects, yielding incredible results. When automation software is used to handle the daily running of a business from financial accounts, to customer support, it can save a substantial amount of time.
Automation software is beneficial in many aspects of small businesses, including:
- Inventory management
- Finances
- Marketing
- Customer service and support
- Project management
- Sales
Here, we will explore three ways how automation can help your small business!
It can enhance customer satisfaction
According to Superoffice, around 86% of consumers would pay more money if it meant they could have a better customer experience (CX). Automation is one way to deliver consistent quality service, value, and speed. Automation can help this in several ways:
- Chatbots and automated reception greetings can direct customers to the particular department that they need or answer basic questions.
- Automation can streamline the ordering process and keep customers up to date with orders and deliveries.
- Automation can ensure consistency across social media channels through schedule post
It makes accounting a breeze
Small business owners often have to be a “Jack of all trades,” and sometimes, in wearing all those hats, can overlook or misunderstand specific tasks. One such task can be the accounts themselves. It’s all too easy for financial documents to pile up and, come tax period, panic ensues. Luckily, automated accounting software like FreshBooks can easily help you manage your finances. You can keep a record of income and expenses, track invoices, and manage accounts without any hassle. This saves you from having to hire a seasoned accountant and ensures that everything is above board. Let the software crunch the numbers while you do what you do best.
You can manage projects with ease
Most small business owners probably understand the stress of managing large-scale projects, especially if you’re operating a small business and don’t have the human power to hire a project manager and other team leads. This is where project management software can save the days. Apps like Indy offer freelancers and small businesses a comprehensive set of automated tools that enable you to run your business with ease. These include task and time trackers, online calendars that sync with your Google calendar for added ease, contract and proposal generators, invoice templates, and more. There is also a communication hub where you can engage with colleagues, which streamlines collaboration by ensuring all important documents and information are located in one centralized place.
The Takeaway
Automation software can take the tedious administrative work out of running a business and can free up time to focus on innovation, collaboration, and business growth. It’s often more affordable than having to hire extra personnel and enables teammates to focus on what humans are so good at – creativity and expansion!