How much time do you spend doing repetitive administrative tasks? Booking projects on the calendar, sending out contracts, invoices, accepting payments and sending confirmation and reminder emails?
You only have so many hours in a day so you have to be mindful of where your energy goes. If a task is repetitive enough, it makes sense to automate it and take it off your to-do list.
Each task takes precious energy that could be used to serve your clients and invest in your business. Even though the set up for these solutions may take some time, you’ll recover that time back within a few weeks by not having to worry about boring everyday tasks.
Email Automation
Using email campaigns is a great way to keep connected with your past, current and prospective clients. Once you have an email list, you can start sending out mass emails to give your clients updates, useful tips and promote your services.
ConvertKit lets your connect your account to your website, where you can embed a sign-up form. It also has beautiful email templates that you can customize with your branding.
Proposals, Contracts, Invoicing
Dubsabo is my favorite business tool, it’s highly customizable and looks amazing. It allows you to customize the proposal, contract and the invoice with your own branding so it looks like an extension of your business.
I had multiple clients compliment the onboarding system that I build using Dubsado – it’s easy to follow and very intuitive. The final proposal package is presented to the client as tabs, all they have to do is click through to review, sign and make the first payment or deposit.
Accounting
Finances may not be your favorite topic, but it very important to stay organized and understand what’s happening with your money flow. Not to mention that great records make your life 100 times easier come tax season.
If you have more than one bank accounts or credit cards, you have to get an online bookkeeping system. Quickbooks allows you to connect your accounts and sync the transaction on a daily basis.
Scheduling
Calendly is probably the best free option for scheduling appointments and meetings. You can set your schedule and adjust it as needed, eliminating the need for your clients to have to call you or email you to set a time.
For an appointment system with a payment option, consider Square. It’s not free, but it allows you to let your clients pay for the service at the time of booking.
Conclusion
I only listed the tools I use and love myself, but there are many more that can be used specifically for your business. The great news is that almost all of these tools can be integrated in your website for a streamlined flow of information and transactions.
I have helped many of my clients identify the best tool for their needs. It’s always a great opportunity to learn a new system and find the perfect fit for my client’s website.