When I talk to entrepreneurs about struggles they face in their business, there are a number of key themes:
- I don’t know what’s happening in my bank account
- I don’t have the time to figure out what’s happening in my bank account
When we run a business, we have to wear so many hats. One minute we’re the CEO, the next we’re finance, and then we’re HR. We have so many things to do that take up so much time – especially when we want to make a profit!
If you were able to cut back a lot of that time you’re spending on the tasks that don’t bring in revenue, what would that mean?
This week, I’ve been joined by Courtney Wiseley from Rescue My Maid Service to talk about using automations in business to claw back some of that time.
Automations are things that can be done automatically in biz, saving you having to implement things manually. If a job that usually takes an hour can be cut back to 45 mins using automations, that’s 15 minutes saved. And those 15 minutes soon add up!
Courtney, the Queen of Automation, runs a way-above-average profitable cleaning company and a lot of that success has been built on her use of automations.
When I asked her how she started in automations and earned her moniker, Courtney told me:
“I’m probably the first person who made it a mission to spread and teach automation in the [cleaning] industry.
Once I saw how much it changed my life, especially with my cleaning company, I was just like ‘I have to share this like other people have to be able to have this time freedom.’”
Tips on implementing automations into your Biz
One of the easiest ways to save time in business is through automating your applications process. Think about all the time you spend reading through job applications and vetting the applicants – who you don’t even end up hiring!
Hiring applicants to a cleaning business is a vital part of running a successful, profitable business and can’t be avoided. But there is a way to cut back on the time it takes to do so.
Courtney has made her application process fully digital and added it to her website. She has set up qualifiers within the application to weed out people who are unsuitable for the job:
- Are they over 21?
- Do they have a car?
- Can they work the required hours?
- Do they have any felony convictions?
and so on.
Through using these qualifiers, the number of applications that Courtney needs to review is cut down – only applicants who meet all the qualifying criteria are considered.
With the saving of so much time reading applications, more time is available for her to spend on moving the needle towards profits in her company.
Courtney even advises setting up an automated email responder to go out three hours after an application is submitted to anyone who doesn’t meet all the criteria, advising them that their application was unsuccessful.
How saving time through automations can increase your business profits
I talked in a previous post about how you should be spending the majority of your time in business on things that are within your Zone of Genius.
There are certain menial tasks that come as part and parcel of running a successful business, and we can’t escape that fact. But if we can automate those tasks, we are freeing up time, focusing on our business and getting back to actually doing the things that will generate profits.
I’ve said before that Time is Money, but also remember that out of the two, you can always make more money. You can NEVER get back the time.
Automating your business is going to boost your productivity and save you so, so much time that you will wonder how you ever got by without it!
‘But what if I’m not very good with technology?’
This is a complaint heard a lot by Courtney when she talks about the importance of implementing automations in business.
She states that there are 2 groups of people: Those who genuinely don’t know technology, and those who simply don’t want to learn.
If you’re in the latter camp, the best thing to do is to outsource your automations. For a profitable business to continue being so, automations are a non-negotiable, and if you have no inclination to learn how to do it yourself, get someone who can!
BUT
If you understand the importance of getting back some of that time, and you just wish you knew how to implement the automation tech? Then Courtney can help take you from technophobe to tech success.
Time Sucks in business make you vulnerable to missing a lot of opportunities and leaving a ton of money on the table. Automating the necessary-but-not-profitable tasks means you can spend more of your time working ON your business, rather than IN it.
When should you be implementing automations in your business?
It doesn’t matter if you’re brand new to business, or running a multi million dollar empire – automations are crucial to sustaining profits by freeing up time to work on the things that are going to move the needle!
Ultimately, it’s your choice on when to invest money in implementing automation systems, but always remember that the sooner you do, the sooner you stop leaving money on the table!
The impact of automations on your business – and beyond
A lot of entrepreneurs I work with, and many that Courtney encounters, are moms wanting to build a business that works around their families. Remember – you can always make more money but you can never make more time.
Automations are going to free up so much of your life by saving you the menial tasks that are necessary but not profitable, allowing you to focus on your Zone of Genius. Not only will this bring in more profits to your biz, but will also increase your assets.
That’s right – when you have a business that’s making more money on less time, that’s a HUGE tick in the Pro column for any prospective buyer if you want to sell it on!
Not only are you gaining time savings now to spend with your families, but you’re investing in your business’s future!
I’ve covered a lot today on the positive ways automations can impact your business – and life – but if you want to watch the training live, make sure to check out my YouTube video.
With thanks again to Courtney from Rescue My Maid Service for her advice and input on how to make automations work for you AND your business; if you put any of her tips in place then please let me know!
Check out my website to learn more!
