How Automation Can Streamline Your Work-Life Balance
Automatic and automated services are becoming more important and necessary than ever since the outbreak. We're exploring simplifying our workflow - one automation at a time.
The current state of affairs has left the world's workforce in uncertainty. Some are out of work, furloughed, or simply laid off while others are navigating running businesses at home remotely. One of the most important parts of remote work is automation. Almost any part of your business can be streamlined by taking all of those little tasks and assigning them to apps and programs.
It may seem expensive and timely to set up means of connecting with your audience and keeping things organized without having to do all of the footwork. It's simpler than it looks. Here are some tools we love to streamline workflow:
Asana - Asana is an online platform that helps organize tasks big and small by "levels" like a matryoshka doll. No individual task with a subtask will be forgotten as you can organize your Asana account in any way. This is a great tool for groups and businesses as you can create groups for certain groups within your organization and assign tasks and follow them all in one organized "feed"
Hubspot - Hubspot is a CRM manager that (for free) will help your business do better on the internet - and most of it you don't have to worry about. It functions with just your preferences. If you're looking for a great free way to get your business out there and you don't have your own marketing team - now you do.
Plann, and Preview - If you've got an iPhone and run any part of your business off of Instagram - these are MUST HAVE tools. If you're on an android system - there should also be equivalents. While Instagram can make it sometimes tricky for apps to auto-post - with these tools you can set specific dates and times for posts and plan your feed out in advance. Some automation apps even allow for the app to post on your behalf.
Online Forms - Utilizing online forms may not seem sophisticated - but when potential clients visit your site - it's important to grab them at the gates and get connected. Consider building a pop-up or placing a form in exchange for some giveaway to get name, email, and phone for future use. This simple automation siphons your visitors straight into your e-mail list.
Zapier - This popular desktop app for independent businesses allows for work to be automated through "zaps" - individual machine automated tasks. While more elaborate plans provide options for business owners to automate lots of "zaps" for a few bucks a month - they have a "free forever" plan that includes a single recurring automated task.
There are literally hundreds of automation tools, and only you will know which works best for you. Take a look at the organization tools you use now and poke around. You'd be surprised how much of today's software has the capability to set alarms, set recurring dates, or complete routine tasks automatically. You don't really know how much time you have until you start eliminating activities that are mundane and can be easily thrown into rotation. We've provided you with a couple of ideas for free automation tools but there are so many more. Once you've seen what your existing systems can do for you, start branching out to free services, and if you find them useful - consider their paid alternatives.
Got an idea of how to streamline we haven't thought of yet? Let us know!
*We're not being paid or endorsed by any of these services, and we're not an affiliate so we don't assume any liability or fault for engaging with these companies, but we've heard of and used them and think these would be great services for you to try