Needless to say, running a business is tough- really tough even if you don’t run one but work closely with the business owner or even a managerial-based positive, then you still have a strong idea of how tough and demanding this can be.
There are a lot of things you need to keep in mind, like the expansion of the business, retaining employees, attracting talent, and focusing on your bottom line, and these are pretty much just the tip of the iceberg anyway. Plus, you can’t forget the mountain of paperwork, scheduling, billing, and a zillion other tasks that eat up your time.
No matter who’s doing the administration work (because there are more than enough headaches behind all of these), you need to keep in mind that they take up a lot of time. In general, it’s important to simplify these where you can. So, where do you even begin with something that always feels like endless work? Well, here’s what you need to know!
Try and Automate Where You Can
If you’re not doing this already, then why not? Seriously, automation is a game-changer, and it’s not even just a buzzword; it’s something that’s actually making a difference for businesses. Nowadays, thanks to AI, there are so many different types of automation out there when it comes to administration. For example, nowadays, you can set up automatic bill payments, use scheduling software to manage appointments, or employ chatbots for customer inquiries; automation can handle repetitive tasks with ease.
For those on your team doing marketing, there’s plenty of different marketing automation tools (and some are free like Facebook Suite). But overall, this is ideal because this not only reduces human error but also frees up your team to focus on more important work.
Using Software That Includes Different Features
Now, this sounds so obvious, but many businesses don’t know about it. Sure, many collaboration tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams offer multiple features packed into one (and these tools are advertised solely for this), but outside of collaborative tools, there are administrative ones that offer it, too.
So, if you can spare the funds, why not look into investing in comprehensive software solutions? These can generally be a lifesaver for you and your whole team.
Ideally, you’ll want to look for software that offers multiple features in one package, so you’ll want to consider invoicing, scheduling, reporting, and more (basically whatever helps you out). This eliminates the need to juggle multiple programs and keeps everything streamlined. For example, an NDIS software system can integrate various functionalities to make your administrative tasks more manageable.
This is merely an example, but overall, it’s worth looking into software that has it all rather than using multiple pieces of software that can’t even integrate and sync together. It’s about doing less work, and that alone saves money in the long run.
Delegate and Outsource
Now, this might be considered low-hanging fruit when it comes to advice, but it’s still very helpful for those doing administration in the business! You don’t have to do everything yourself, even the person (or team) that tends to do administrative tasks shouldn’t always have to juggling everything (and they often have to).
So it could help to look into outsourcing such as to virtual assistants, bookkeeping services, and IT support are just a few areas where outsourcing can make a huge difference. You just need to remember, your time is valuable, and sometimes it’s worth spending a little to save a lot.
Ritik Singh
Admin
Sarah Williams
Rachita Kotian