5 big ways to automate your small business
If you have started your own business, you probably don’t have time to read this blog. You probably have a million things to do on a list that literally never ends. And the more you grow, the busier you will get.. which I mean.. how?!
Let me make your day and tell you about a few super simple ways you can automate certain aspects of your small business, by delegating some of those tasks you will feel more in control.
Get yourself a (digital) copy editor
A spelling and grammar mistake in your text and copy is a huge red flag for potential customers. They don’t trust the professionalism of a business that can’t spell or write properly.
Grammarly is an application that you download on your phone or computer and it spellchecks everything you type. I take pride in being good at grammar and spelling, and even I have been saved (more than) a few times by Grammarly's eagle eye.
Email list engagement made easy
If you are growing your email list (which is my #1 recommendation for growing business) then you will benefit from automated email campaigns. When a new subscriber signs up, this automation will send out an email that thanks and welcomes them. Then one week later, it automatically sends out an email that tells them more about your company’s story or offering a discount code, which builds the relationship and trust between you.
This automated chain can be designed in whatever way suits your business. If you haven’t started an email list, you can sign up for MailChimp or Klaviyo and start growing showing up in people's inbox!
Automate your customer service
Automating customer service can be a game-changer for small business owners who want to provide excellent support without being tied to their inbox 24/7. While personal interaction is crucial for building relationships with customers, many routine inquiries and tasks can be handled with automation, freeing up your time for more strategic work.
One of the easiest ways to automate customer service is by setting up a comprehensive FAQ page on your website. Many customers prefer to find answers themselves rather than waiting for a response, so having a well-organized FAQ section can significantly reduce the number of repetitive inquiries you receive. Pair this with a chatbot or AI-powered assistant that can answer common questions and direct customers to the right resources.
Another effective automation strategy is setting up automated email responses for common inquiries. Whether it's a simple confirmation email letting a customer know their message was received or a series of follow-up emails guiding them through your services, automated emails can improve response times and enhance customer satisfaction.
By implementing these automation tools, small businesses can maintain excellent customer service without burning out. The key is finding the right balance—use automation to handle repetitive tasks while ensuring personalized support remains available when needed.
Don’t be bogged down by blogs
I can’t say it enough.. batch your blogs! Carved out a morning or afternoon in your schedule for writing, come prepared with ideas and simply write your heart out for a few hours. Cover topics that are on brand but can be from personal experience or based on research (ideally both!)
Once you have written a few blogs, you can schedule them for one per week or every two weeks, to keep your blog active all month long. If you make writing a more frequent part of your work tasks, you can even get months ahead.
Social while you sleep (or work or spend time with family)
Posting to Facebook twice a day and Instagram once a day is a daunting and exhausting task to face (according to Social Report that is how often you should be posting for your business.)
Unless you have a dedicated employee for social media and marketing, there just isn’t enough time in a day to accomplish everything needed for both social and operational needs. If you put a little bit of effort in ahead of time and batch your work properly though, automating your social posts can save a lot of time.
Facebook has a scheduling tool built right into it, so you can schedule your content and posts well ahead of time, and focus more of your energy on engagement instead of spending that energy trying to think of what to post. At the top of your Facebook business page is a tab for Publishing Tools. In the publishing tools tab, there is a Scheduled Posts tab on the left-hand side and this is where you can schedule posts.
For Instagram I used a number of different apps, depending on the needs of the account. Planoly, Preview, and Later are all great apps can help you schedule and even auto-post your content for you.
Spend less time on the things that you can delegate, and make more time for growth! Automate a small aspect of your business this week, and then try adding a new automation task the next week. Take it slow and slowly take back control of your to-do list.
