I don't have time to automate my business
"I don't have time to automate my business."
This is something that I hear regularly from small business owners, and it's understandable.
You have a lot on your plate and a lot of things that you were trying to do all at once, all the time.
And it feels like setting up systems and automation in your business could be great and could save you a lot of time.
But it seems like so much work that you don't have the capacity for right now, right?
Today I'd like to talk about where those feelings are coming from and what you can do about it.
Does automating feel like too much work right now?
So if you're worried that you don't have the time to set up good systems and automation to support your business.
Maybe you feel like you don't have the time to do the setup properly.
Maybe you feel like you don't have the time to learn how to use it properly, and you may as well keep doing things the way you've been doing it, because at least you know how to do it.
Or maybe you feel like this is just going to end up creating way more work for yourself and it's not actually going to save you time at all.
Listen, I'm going to be honest with you. There's no CRM platform or project management platform or something like that to help you systematize your business that is not going to need some sort of learning. That's not going to need some sort of setup.
It's going to take some time initially to get it going properly, and it's going to take some time initially for you to adjust to it. To adjust to using it, to figure out how to use it, and to incorporate that into your daily habits and daily schedule.
I know if you are currently overwhelmed with work - you are overwhelmed with your To Do list, inquiries, and all the things that are going on in your business - it feels like this isn't something you can take on right now.
Can you afford not to automate?
However, my question is, can you afford NOT to have systems and automation in your business?
Think about the amount of time that you spend doing things like creating proposals and invoices, custom contracts, scheduling appointments and calls with clients and leads, answering the same questions over and over and over again.
There are probably several admin tasks in your business that are repeatable that you don't need to be doing manually from scratch every time.
While it may feel like a lot of work initially to set up templates for all of these things and maybe set up a bit of automation for some of these things, once you have it set up, it's ready to go.
You never have to create that invoice again. You never have to write that email again.
So it is some extra up front work that is going to really pay off in the long run.
It could potentially save you hours in your business every week.
These are hours that you could use to take on a new client or create a new offer, work on a new project, spend more time with your family.
It can either help you reduce the amount of time that you work or do more things that are going to bring more revenue into your business.
What is the mental load in your business?
Honestly, it's not just the amount of time that you're spending on these tasks. It's not the potential revenue that you might be losing by focusing on these tasks. It's the mental load that these tasks are taking up in your brain.
If you don't have good systems and infrastructure in your business, you are spending so much of your mental capacity every day keeping track of everything that's going on in your business.
Keeping track of leads and where they're at. Keeping track of your clients. Keeping track of your projects. Worrying that you are missing something at all times.
If you have good systems and programs in place to help you keep track of everything, you don't have to worry about it anymore. It doesn't have to take up all of that space in your brain anymore, because it's already being tracked elsewhere for you.
Depending on what kind of systems and setup you decide to use, in theory you just have to log in every day and look at your tasks for the day and that's all you need to worry about.
So it really just gives you that peace of mind that you're not missing something and you don't have to continue keeping track of 1000 things all at once anymore. Can you afford not to free up all that space in your brain?
Where to start if you don't have time
If you know your business needs systems, but you're not sure where to get started and you have limited time, here are three tips that I recommend.
Step 1: Start with the essentials
First of all, start with the essentials first.
For most people I talk to, this means automating your leads process as much as possible. This means for new leads coming into your business, getting them information and things that they need to move forward and actually book with you as soon as possible once they reach out.
And then the other thing that is really helpful to automate as early as possible is online scheduling.
This means that leads and clients can just click a link and book an appointment on your calendar and you don't have to do anything.
Step 2: Schedule time for automation
My second tip for setting up systems and automation is to intentionally set aside time for it in your schedule.
If you do not create time for it, it's not going to happen.
So you need to set aside blocks of time or dedicate a day or two - figure out what works best for you and your schedule.
But you need dedicated time for doing this setup and learning how to use it.
Step 3: Set a time limit
The third thing that I recommend - and this is going to help make it easier and faster to get systems and automation going - is to get professional help.
If you don't have time to do the automation and systems setup yourself, find someone who can help you figure out what you need, get it set up as quickly as possible, and help you figure out how to use it.
This could be someone who is setting it up for you, or someone who is setting it up with you so that you're learning how to do it, but you're not struggling trying to figure it out for yourself.
If you're interested in working with me for systems and automation support, please  reach out to me.
I'd love to help you get your business working more efficiently as quickly as possible.
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