If you're anything like me, the summer months can sometimes get a little crazy chaotic: the kids are home every day (and of course they're bored every moment of the day!), I'm playing taxi mom for all of the sports and extracurricular activities, there are vacations to plan, social gatherings to attend...needless to say, there is a never-ending demand on my time more than usual.
The first year of my entrepreneurial journey, the Summer was killer on my business. My productivity was at an all-time low, which meant my income suffered as well. I had to come up with a solution because, well, bills still have to be paid in the summertime, right?!
The solution: to automate as much of my business as possible! This meant that I could still enjoy all of the fun that came along with the summertime, without having to be tied to my computer all day, every day, or worrying about missing out on income. After all, one of the main reasons I decided to become an entrepreneur was for more flexibility with my schedule.
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If you spend even a small amount of time on social media, I'm sure you've seen a lot of posts about people getting their bodies "summer ready," but I want to know, is your BUSINESS summer ready?
If not, the number one piece of advice that I would offer you is to automate, automate, automate!
I am a big fan of the "set it and forget it" method! Automating certain aspects of your business, as well as creating systems, frees up so much of your time, allows you to work on more income producing tasks, spend more time with your family, and do the things you enjoy.
It is also especially helpful if you are still working a 9-5 and have a limited amount of time to work on your biz (I know all about that struggle!)
A few things that you can automate include:
Email Marketing - Most email marketing tools allow you to create automated emails to go out based on different triggers, such as when someone signs up to your email list, or simply a specified date and time that you set. Choose a day of the week to write your emails in batches and set them to go out weekly. Boom! Set it and forget it!
Blogging - If you follow my blog, you know that I have a weekly Mogul in the Making entrepreneur spotlight that is published on Mondays. I set aside Thursday as my "blogging days" to write up the post and use the scheduling feature to post it the following Monday. Boom! Set it and forget it!
Online Client Scheduling - Do you offer client consultations or one-on-one appointments with your clients? It can sometimes become a hassle (and very time consuming) to go back and forth via email, trying to find a date and time that works for both you and your client. To save time, use an online scheduling tool (I use Calendly) to send to my clients. No more playing phone tag. I send the link to my calendar that lists my availability and let the client choose a match that works for them. Easy peasy!
Payment Processing - I believe in making the payment process as easy as possible. Who has time to personally send individual invoices? Not I! So, when a client is ready to work with me, I direct them to my Paypal link to choose the level in which they'd like to work with me (one time VIP intensive coaching session or 5 week mentoring session). The description of the services are already included and an invoice is automatically generated. They can also pay right on my website! Done and DONE!
Evergreen Courses - Creating evergreen courses (a course that requires a one time setup, usually delivered via email) are the perfect way to generate income "while you sleep" (or in this case, while you're enjoying your summer!) With the proper systems in place, your clients can purchase and access the course information without you ever having to lift a finger after the initial setup.
I'm sure you started your business to have more time freedom, and to live the lifestyle that you desire, and deserve. Having the proper systems in place will allow you to do just that!
Take some time over the next few days to get your business systems in order. Trust me, your business, and your bank account, will thank you later!
Do you have anything to add to this list of things that can be automated in your business?
Here's to having a wonderful AND profitable Summer 2016!