Managing the admin for a small business can take up so many hours that you’re left wondering when you can actually fit in winning clients and doing the work you need to. Streamlining your processes and bringing in virtual admin support could help you to be more productive, save money and find things less stressful.
Which processes can you streamline?
From data entry admin to diary management and bookkeeping, all your day-to-day business processes can probably be done more efficiently – and they certainly don’t have to be done by you. According to research by the accountancy software firm, Sage, small business owners spend an average of 120 working hours per year on administrative tasks. That’s three whole working weeks when you could be out making new contacts, developing new products or services, and growing your business.
Many small business owners spend longer than that – particularly when they start up. And there are a lot of tasks to manage:
- Bookkeeping and invoicing
- Diary management
- Travel and events bookings
- Database management
- CRM system updates
- Social media marketing
- Paperwork associated with your product or service
How will streamlining help?
If you’re doing all these tasks yourself, you’re probably the most expensive admin option there is. Think about how much you would charge for an hour of your time, and work out whether you’re getting good value for yourself when you spend an entire day sorting out your database or preparing an email newsletter. Streamlining will not only make your processes more efficient, but it will let you see where there is real value to your business of talking to an administrative services company that can handle much of these day-to-day tasks for a fraction of the cost.
Think about:
Timing – are you just fitting these tasks in when you have time? Would it be more efficient to do them at a set time? Can you do some things in advance in a block to save you taking hours out here and there as the need arises?
Technology – are you using your technology to its best advantage? For example, could the admin of data entry be better managed? Instead of updating several spreadsheets independently, would it save you time to buy in a CRM system that automates much of that process? Have you got accounting software? Even if you end up choosing to outsource admin work, technology can still make the process easier to manage.
Accountability and trust – small business owners often worry about leaving others to manage key tasks. This business is yours, after all – you want to make sure everything is done properly. But if you’re doing everything twice, or spending a lot of time checking up on things, you’re wasting time that you could be spending on your business growth. Instead, take a step back, give the people you are working with responsibility with accountability and let them get on with it.
Prioritising – it’s easy to think that everything needs doing – NOW! But that usually leads to jobs being half-done or poorly done. If you prioritise the tasks you have to do, everything becomes more manageable and you can focus on the most important things, helping you to move your business forward. You can do this prioritisation on your own, with your staff, or with whatever remote assistants you work with. It’s worth remembering the Eisenhower Matrix:
What to do next
If you know that you’re spending too much time administrating your business and not enough time working on projects and growth, perhaps now is the time to think about investigating how using virtual admin support can help you streamline your admin processes and make your business more efficient and productive. If you’re short on time and need help with your admin, feel free to call us on 0800 994 9016 or use our contact form in the menu above.