Automation got you overwhelmed? With all the technology today, it’s no wonder business owners are constantly struggling with where to start! You know you should automate “stuff” in your business, but most people either don’t know what automation really means or where the first palace to start is.

I’m going to simplify this so you can easily understand how automation really works and how it can help you in your business.

But before we get into that, what is automation?

Automation just means reducing how much you have to create or do by hand. Said another way, turning the manual into automatic using features built into software and apps that we use every day.

Here is how you can start automating things in your business:

First, don’t push it. There’s a lot of advice out there about what you “should” automate, but if you implement too quickly or aren’t paying attention, you could cause a bit of a mess and stress yourself out. Remember that the more you automate, the more could be out of your line of sight, so make sure whatever it is you’re going to dive into is something you’re comfortable with.

Second, start small and tackle tasks you repeat regularly. I always suggest starting with creating templated emails that you send all the time. This could be for frequently requested information. Also (hot tip!), you can create templates for just snippets of information as well. It doesn’t have to be a full email. Another popular place to start is with a scheduling assistant tool, such as Calendly or Acuity. Dipping your toes in with these two tools will teach you how automation functionally works while building your confidence to try other forms.

Once you get comfortable, identify other small ways automation may help you and work from there. 

Automation works best when it serves a workflow or process. If you’d like help thoughtfully designing your workflows and optimizing your tools to support you (including using automation), my Strategic Operations Intensives can get you results fast.

What automation tools are you currently loving?