Productivity Challenge - Topic 3

In today’s video, I talked about the power of recognizing the systems and processes that already exist in your business. Take a moment to think back to the recurring tasks you identified on Topic 2 (if you need to just back and rewatch it, do so here). Now, let's dive deeper into how you complete those tasks and how you envision completing them in an ideal world, where you only need to focus on providing a fantastic client experience or making your day easier!

Identify the process

By writing down the steps and envisioning an enhanced process, you gain clarity on where you're spending the most time and where the process becomes challenging. This information allows you to identify areas for improvement.

When I identify areas for improvement, my first point of call is always an automation tool (why do it manually if you don’t have to?). Let’s recap some of the challenges I discussed, and a few of the options available to solve them.

• Spending a lot of time on customer inquiries over multiple platforms

Handling communication over multiple platforms can be a headache, so there are a few ways to tackle this - implementing strong Calls to Action (CTA) and sending potential customers where they need to go (ie. “Visit the website for more information!” or “For custom quotes, email us today”). It’s also great to create automated replies on your social media platforms, which allows you to respond promptly without being online, as well as providing direction on how to best contact you and utilising the FAQ buttons.

• Spending way too much time booking discovery calls or project calls

Implementing a scheduler (e.g. Acuity, Calendly, or Dubsado) eliminates the back and forth to find a time that suits. You can also set up appointment reminders with cancel or reschedule buttons to save both you and your client time.

• Falling behind on administration tasks

There is no denying that administration isn’t always a barrel of laughs but it is the wheel that keeps your business rolling. If you know that this isn’t an area you do well with, look into setting up Zaps to automate folder/document creation, reminders to prompt task completion, and the delegation of tasks to the team. Both my CRM (Dubsado) and project management system (Trello/Clickup) provide automated reminders for any of my tasks that require manual completion.

Invest in a System

Tracking your projects, leads and clients is crucial for staying organized. If you're still relying on your memory or a traditional whiteboard, it's time to step into the modern era and set up a project management system and/or a client relationship management system (CRM). There are a plethora of options to pick from but I’ve included some of my favourites:

• Dubsado (CRM)

• Trello

• Asana

• ClickUp

• MeisterTask

With project management systems, you can create a "Current Projects" board to share with your team, allowing everyone to see the progress of each job, set timelines, assign tasks, and create templates for a streamlined and efficient workflow.

Once you've automated as much as possible, it's time to assess what tasks can be outsourced. Even if that’s not an option until the future, consider screen recording yourself performing each task, especially those that are less frequent, to create a valuable training resource for both your current and future team members.

Here’s your homework for Identifying your Systems & Processes

What’s jumped out at you through this topic? Is there a task or activity that you’ll be focusing on? Remember that once you identify the next step, allocate the time you’ll need accordingly. Scheduling time for projects means you are more likely to accomplish your goals!

Staying stuck isn’t an option - if you need some clarity or would like my undivided attention and help to sift through your systems and processes, consider booking a session with me where we go through what is working and what needs a tune-up in your business. You will walk away with comprehensive recommendations on how to move forward.