4 Ways to Increase Automation in Your Small Business

Automation is already changing the way companies operate but it isn’t a phenomenon that’s restricted to enterprise-level organizations. In fact, smaller businesses can gain significant benefits when they incorporate automated processes into their operations. To learn more, take a look at these four ways to increase automation in your small business and find out what the benefits are:

1. Digital Marketing

Although digital marketing can be cheaper than traditional, offline advertising, you’ll still want to keep your budget as low as possible and maximize your ROI. By using an automated digital marketing platform, you can significantly reduce the time it takes to execute and manage campaigns, which will naturally reduce your costs.

However, automated digital marketing has other benefits too. You can incorporate the latest trends, such as personalization, to enhance the efficacy of your campaigns and improve results, for example.

2. Bookkeeping and Accounting

Keeping up to date financial records is critical in any business, which is why it’s essential to have a workable system in place. Of course, hiring an in-house finance team isn’t necessary for most small businesses, particularly if you decide to automate your financial management.

With automated invoicing and payroll, for example, you can ensure that your financial records are updated in real-time. To find out why some small businesses face tougher challenges when it comes to financial management, take a look at this blog post and look out for these 12 IRS audit flags. As well as regulating your cash flow, automated bookkeeping and accounting can be an effective way of meeting your legal obligations as a business owner and ensuring you never miss a filing date.

3. Workflows

Startups and small businesses typically operate with a small staff, although supplementing your workforce with freelancers and subcontractors can be a great way of accessing the professional support you need. However, you’ll want to ensure that every member of your team is maximizing their productivity levels in order to boost your ROI.

Automated workflows don’t just help staff to manage their time; they can also prioritize tasks, identify bottlenecks and enable your entire organization to run more efficiently. Depending on what work management platform you choose, you can even host virtual meetings, share files, and communicate in real-time as you update your tasks.

4. Customer Service

Exceptional customer service can be a valuable USP for any business, so don’t miss an opportunity to deliver great customer care. If you don’t have a dedicated customer service department, automating your processes can enhance user experience (UX) and enable you to deliver a better standard of customer service.

With automated call routing and chatbots powered by artificial intelligence (AI), for example, customers can access the advice and assistance they need at any time and you can implement low-cost tools to optimize your customer care.

Creating an Automation Strategy

With so many tools available, it’s tempting to introduce various automated processes at the same time. However, taking a strategic approach will enable you to identify the in-house processes that can deliver the most benefits via automation. Additionally, creating an automation strategy will ensure that the tools you choose can be integrated with one another, which will ensure seamless connectivity and increased efficiency.