TAKING YOUR SMALL BUSINESS FROM MANUAL METHODS TO AUTOMATED SOLUTIONS

Small business owners who are just starting out tend to rely on manual methods for accomplishing business tasks. It’s a numbers game, and at the beginning you have fewer products, customers, vendors, and contacts. This means that the manual work doesn’t take much time, and you may not be motivated to find automated solutions.

However, as you begin to grow, you realize that the manual methods aren’t going to cut it. They are inefficient and cause you to waste time that would be better spent elsewhere. At this point, small business owners can turn to technology to find the automated solutions that will streamline their manual processes and help them take their success to the next level.

A Hypothetical Scenario to Guide Your Transition to Automated Solutions

In a recent Ramon Ray video on Wells Fargo Works for Small Business, Ramon takes us through a hypothetical scenario where fictitious owners Catherine and John transition from manual methods to automated processes in order to grow their jewelry company. The hypothetical scenario will allow you to put yourself in their shoes, contemplating how you too may use automated solutions to streamline your business.

You can check out the video to learn about ideas like:

• A better solution for dealing with piles of business cards and email follow-ups.
• Moving away from the Excel spreadsheet or shoebox to automated finance and accounting methods.
• A variety of other ideas which discuss how you can use technology to connect better with social followers, customers, and your team members.

Reflecting on Your Own Needs

The hypothetical scenario presented in the video will allow you to see through the eyes of a small business much like your own — one which is tired of wasting time on manual processes and ready to take the business to the next level using automated solutions.

As you watch the video and listen to the story, think about your own business operations.

• What are your most inefficient processes?
• In which areas do you think you are wasting time?
• What things do you currently do manually that may potentially be automated?

Chances are there are automated solutions for each of your current challenges and by thinking about the questions above, you are taking the first important step to making simple changes that will have a big impact on your business. By moving away from manual methods, you can save time, money, and bring your business to the next level.