Business automation tools can help you turn your organisation into a much more efficient operation. Not only will a great automation tool help you save time on repetitive tasks, but it will also boost overall productivity. A business automation tool is a piece of technology that handles daily processes, such as accounting or even recruitment. It allows you to simplify processes and optimise workflows. The ultimate goal of using automation tools is so that you can leverage tech to improve your business processes and as such, you can enhance your bottom line and create greater success for your business well into the future.
Why You Should Automate Processes In Your Business
Small business automation tools save you time and money. Those are big incentives, but they aren’t the only ones. These gadgets can take key tasks out of workers’ hands, allowing them to focus on the more important projects. For example, if you automate accounts payable or initial customer service responses, then your paid labour can focus on business-critical tasks. Accuracy is a bonus. The most common mistakes in data entry, and document processing, are down to human error. Automation removes this element, ensuring accuracy. Automation will also allow you to standardise daily workflows and track documentation as well as reduce overheads and operating costs. It’s the epitome of working smarter, not harder. With a simple piece of software, you free up your team to address the big stuff.
Admittedly, most of the established automation tools are aimed at medium to large businesses; there are options for small business automation tools.
Automation Tools
If you are interested in business process automation but need automated online business ideas, look no further. We give you the rundown on all the latest systems for your small business needs.
E-Commerce
Shopify
Shopify is the simplest way to take your business online. It provides you with the platform you need to create an e-commerce store and manage it. Luckily, you don’t need much technical knowledge to run the site. Shopify also offers thousands of integrations, which means you can automate your business even further.
Marketing & Sales
Hubspot
If you want a one-stop sales and marketing shop, Hubspot might be the solution you are looking for. In addition to acting as a traditional CRM, it also allows you to make landing pages easily to capture leads.
Salesforce.com
Salesforce is a market–leading CRM platform. Not only can you customise it, but it also provides massive automation potential with loads of automation tools integrating with it. All of this serves to enhance its functionality. This mix of marketing, sales, and business tools allow you to boost your online presence and provides your team with the details they need to meet customer needs and close deals.
Social Media
Buffer
Social media is a standard part of business now, but you can use automation tools to save time. You need a regular stream of content to engage your customers, and you can use Buffer to streamline and curate that content. You don’t have to post individual posts or check on them either let Buffer do it for you.
Hootsuite
Not only can you schedule social media posts well in advance and post them across the platforms, but you can also use Hootsuite as your hub to respond to comments. You don’t need to jump from account to account; it’s all streamlined in one place. Social media can be a time-consuming job. Most small businesses can’t afford to hire a dedicated social media manager. Hootsuite ensures you don’t have to.
Analytics
Google Analytics
Google Analytics tracks traffic to your website, which provides you with valuable insights. You create the dashboard with the stats that matter to you, whether it be SEO ranking, bounce rate or otherwise. And, you can review these weekly or monthly.
Accounting
Xero
When your business grows, so do your accounting needs. Accountancy is often a barrier to success, especially when you’re dealing with tight budgets. Xero, however, provides you with a helpful tool to minimise your accounting workload. With it, you can schedule payments, automate invoices, and manage cash flow. Loads of features come with this software, and it’s all to make money management simpler for small businesses.
Communication
Slack
A small business can sift through hundreds of emails each day, and that’s impossible for one person to handle. It’s easy to lose track of important information and complaints, but Slack is a great tool to streamline your communications. It’s also a great digital hangout for your employees to discuss projects and manage their workflow.
Mailchimp
Mailchimp might be the most well-known communication tool on the market. But, it isn’t just for internal communication. It is an excellent external communication tool as well. So, with Mailchimp, you can easily keep your team abreast of the latest operational news. And, you can also use it to send out regular newsletters to customers or clients.
Final Thoughts
Though it may feel like it, based on current offerings, automation tools aren’t reserved for big businesses. With the automation tools above, you can leverage these to your advantage to grow your small business at a speed you are comfortable with. Start with these platforms, and once you have made the most of them, you can scale up to the next suite of business automation tools for your medium to large business. Your business growth journey begins here.