5 Ways To Automate and Delegate In Your Business (And Take Back Your TIME)

Here’s a question: are you running your business, or is it running you? It might be time to look into something that EVERY business owner needs to do as they grow–automate and delegate. And then, of course, how to automate and delegate in your business!

Let’s talk about what we mean by that. 

The one thing that everyone gets the same amount of each day is TIME. You can always make more money. But not more time. 

Truth be told, of the 24 hours each day, there are only a few hours to actually RUN your business. There are kids, partners, time to eat, time to work out, time to breathe. How, as a business owner or an entrepreneur, do you get the most out of the time you have? 

Our go-to here? Automate and delegate in your business. These two steps are the key to making the most out of your most valuable resource: your TIME.

This week we’ll show you how automate and delegate to make your business a well-oiled machine. You’ll learn how to hand over invoicing, scheduling, and relationship-building without missing a beat. That means you can focus on what you actually DO in your business! 

Best of all, you can start NOW. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a brand-new solopreneur or a well-seasoned business owner. 

Ready to automate and delegate your way to reclaiming your time? Let’s jump in!  

Step 1: Take stock of what you have, and determine what you need. 

You might already have a few software programs installed to help with various tasks. Things like appointment schedulers, social media post schedulers, or invoicing software.

So before you add anything new, grab a pen and paper, list what you’ve already got, and take stock. 

Are there any programs or services that you’re paying for but don’t use? How about ones that you signed up for and forgot about, and they’re collecting cyber dust? Get an idea of what you have now, and decide what stays and what goes. 

If you don’t have any software at all yet, make a wish list! This will help you in Step 2. 

Step 2: Where are you spending your time in your business? This will help you automate and delegate

Now you know what you’ve got (or you’ve made your wish list). The next step is to use this information to figure out how you’re spending time in your business. 

In other words, what tasks are taking up the time that you’d rather be spending somewhere else? It might be things like bookkeeping, follow-ups, social media management, or invoicing. What do you love to do, and what is outside of your area of expertise (and taking up your time)?  

This will clue in you on what you want to do, what you don’t, and where to look for support. 

Step 3: Learn the top 5 areas to automate and delegate in your business

No matter where you stand in your business, these are 5 areas that you can beef with automation and delegation. Want to accelerate your business fast? Focus on these areas first! 

We’ve also listed suggestions for software that can support you at any stage in your business. All of them have reasonable price points (many with free versions!). They’re also flexible: not so simple that you’ll outgrow them fast, and not so complex that you’ll never learn them. 

Let’s break down the top 5 areas to cover, our favorite software, and best delegation tips to make your life easier: 

#1: Make it as easy as possible to get paid. You don’t want to be chasing your money all the time. Avoid this by making it as easy as possible for your clients and customers to send in the coin. Start by looking at your current invoicing system. Then, see if there are any places it could be smoother and more efficient. 

Whether you use PayPal, QuickBooks, or something else, take a critical look at how you accept money. Take note of the process, the accessibility, and the fees that you’re paying for your software. The more ease, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness, the better. 

Recommended: check out QuickBooks for its versatility and functionality. There are several levels to suit where you are in your business, and it grows with you as you scale your business. 

#2: Automate your relationships. Now, relationships are the cornerstone of any successful business. Of course, nothing replaces an actual 1:1 conversation. But software can create the touchpoints you need to nurture your relationships. And without having to be calling, texting, or emailing 24/7. 

The least you need is a nurturing sequence for prospects. This means software that sends out automated appointment confirmations, reminders, and follow-ups. All touchpoints help you build trust with your prospects, and without having to think about it. (Nice, right?) 

Give a few of these a try:

1- Acuity Scheduling for booking appointments and sales calls with clients. It’s got a ton of features to streamline your nurturing sequences. From initial contact to post-meeting follow-ups, Acuity covers it all. At $110 a year, it’s a bargain for all the functionality it provides (you can even use it to sell physical products)! 

2- GetResponse. It’s a Customer Relationship Manager (CRM). You can catalog your leads, create email marketing, create landing pages, and so much more! This basic CRM is cost-effective (starting at $15 a month). It’s also both user friendly and sophisticated enough to grow with you.  

3- Zoom is a video chat service that we love, and it’s a great tool for your “know, like, and trust” factor. For one thing, you can record content in video form (like our weekly webinars) to share with prospects (more on this in a minute!). For another, you can use it to record client calls for both your reference and your client’s. These are both fabulous ways to deliver more of your value at little cost to you (you can start for free!). 

#3: Create another Point of Contact. As much as you might like to be, it’s not possible to be everywhere at once. This is why layering in another point of contact for clients and prospects is such a big deal. You want to be there for your clients while keeping your boundaries. Luckily there are ways to do this that won’t break the bank! 

One option is hiring a Virtual Assistant a few hours a week (it’s more cost-effective than it sounds). Another would be setting up chatbots or signing up with an after-hours call center. You could even employ a willing person in your life such as a friend, a partner, a college student, or even your kid! 

The point is to have something (or someone) available outside of your normal business hours. This expands your opportunity to reach more clients and prospects, and without chaining yourself to the laptop!

Step 4: Build an online task list

How do you keep track of all the things you need to do in your business? If so far it’s been with a pen and paper, this is for you. An online project software can help you set up an infrastructure for your business. This will not only help you get organized now, but it will help you scale up later. 

All you need to do right now is make a list of the things you do every day, week, and month in your business. Make note of the recurring projects and one-off tasks. Then start organizing them using one of the many software options available. 

It doesn’t matter if you think your business is too small to need an internal structure. Start building that structure now, so that when the time comes to delegate, you’ll be ready. This is easily done with online project software, and you can start with many of them for free. 

One of the easiest and most affordable apps is Asana. It helps you make task lists, break them down into categories, and break categories down to projects. You can set up recurring tasks, one-off tasks, and set due dates to keep yourself (and your team) on task. Super easy and efficient to use! 

Step 5: Turn your Frequently Asked Questions page into fresh content.

 I’m willing to bet that your clients and prospects frequently ask the same questions. It’s pretty safe to say that if one person has a question, at least 100 other people want to ask the same thing. So look at the FAQ page on your website. If you don’t have one yet, grab a pen and paper and write down the questions you get the most. Then turn those questions into new content. 

We’re talking about blog posts, social media posts, videos, webinars–get creative! Here’s the best part–once you create a single piece of content for a single question, you’ve got it for good. You can share it, send it, post it, and use it to exponentially serve your people. 

This is great because it leverages your expertise. It also brings immediate value to anyone who stops by your website, social media platform, or your inbox. Just direct them to one piece of content that covers 100 people’s questions. Easy-peasy! 

So there you have it! Use what’s out there to help you automate and delegate in your business. Don’t be afraid to give up a little control to free up a lot of your time. Because here’s the thing–you don’t have to do it all alone. 

When you automate and delegate, you free yourself up to do what you do best. You can let go of the busy work so you can do what you love, scale your business, and be of more value to more people. And without having to work 7 days a week!

So what do YOU think? What areas in your business would you love to automate and delegate, and how do you plan to make that happen?

Leave a comment! 

P.S. Did you catch this episode of Money & Marketing about identifying your Ideal Clients with ease? Ditch the “avatar” worksheets and identify your ideal client without all the stress!