The Importance of Business Processes, Systems, and Automation for Solopreneurs

We’re all trying to work smarter, not harder. I learned this lesson the hard way by doing too many manual tasks for too long. When I first started my business in 2020, I didn’t know business processes and automation were even a thing. I thought everyone was doing things manually, like me. Then I learned they exist and thought getting these set up wasn’t worth the time or money. I was in too deep and was stuck in my ways.

How naive of me! I just needed someone to help me understand what business processes, systems, and automation could do for my business. It WAS worth the time and money to get them set up. I provide a better experience for my leads and clients and they save me tons of time every single week.

So today, I’m going to share what I wish I had known a few years ago: the importance of business processes, systems, and automation, especially if you are a solopreneur doing it all on your own. You REALLY need these in place to help you manage your business. And this isn’t coming from a place of judgment – I was and still am in that position as a solopreneur! So, let me share my experience with business processes, systems, and automation to hopefully inspire you to invest in it yourself.

What Are Business Processes, Systems, and Automation?

I know these all sound similar, but they actually have distinct roles in your business, so let’s break down each one.

• Business Processes: Steps to accomplish a task.
• Business Systems: Tools for managing operations.
• Business Automation: Technology to streamline repetitive tasks.

All three work together to create a method to manage your business effectively and efficiently. They save time, ensure accuracy, and show professionalism, all of which are important as a solopreneur.

The Benefits of Streamlining Your Business Processes

The obvious benefit of streaming your business processes and systems is time savings. I’ve saved hours of my time by automating areas of my business. I love that I don’t even have to think about sending an invoice to a client—it just does it, and they pay! 

I can’t tell you how many things I used to do manually. It’s kind of embarrassing, actually. I was manually sending days/times for discovery calls, the link to meet, contracts, invoices, reminders, follow-ups, etc. It was SO much to remember that I wouldn’t be surprised if I lost a potential client or two because I forgot to send them something. Now, with business processes and automation in place, I can handle more creative work without additional stress or brain power.

Another benefit of business systems is that I present a polished and organized image to my leads and clients. The system is consistent, branded, and easy for them to follow without me intervening. 

How to Identify Key Areas for Systems and Automation

Okay, so what parts of your business can you even automate? I have learned so much about automation and business systems lately, so let me share what I know and do.

First, think about your pain points and the tasks that are time-consuming or prone to human error. Maybe that’s sending appointment links when someone schedules a discovery call. Or adding tasks to your project management tool. Whatever it is, think about the small, tedious tasks you always do.

What about daily or weekly tasks that don’t require creativity or brain power? For me, that would be publishing social media posts. After I write them and design a graphic, it’s tedious to post manually on Instagram every day. Instead, I schedule all my posts in Tailwind. I also do this for blog posts! I’m much more productive when I batch my content. When I’m done writing a blog, I’ll batch schedule them in WordPress. That way, I don’t even have to think about posting a new blog every week.

Finally, think about the client’s journey and experience. It’s too much for you to manually send emails all the time to clients at different stages of working with you. Business processes and systems can help you streamline everything to improve the client’s experience with your business. You can automatically send a welcome email after they sign an invoice. Then, they will get a link to your questionnaire to complete, no matter the time of day. Business processes create a more branded and unified experience for your clients.

Tools and Software for Solopreneurs

I bought a subscription to Dubsado earlier this year, and it has been a game-changer for my business. I hired Ashley at Solution Integrators to help me get everything set up initially. She helped me understand the basics of Dubsado and the different areas of my business to automate. To be honest, I’m still learning how to use Dubsado’s full capabilities – there’s just so much it can do to help streamline your business processes! I’m currently using it for contracts, invoicing, follow-ups, and appointment scheduling. Even in just those areas, Dubsado has saved me hours of manual work.

Another tool to help you streamline your business is Flodesk. Whenever someone downloads one of my freebies, they are automatically placed in a welcome email series. In the first email, they get the link to the freebie. In the second, I introduce myself and my business. In the third, I explain how my services will help them grow their business. And the last email lets them know that they will be added to my weekly newsletter. I set up this workflow when I was relaunching my business in early 2024, and it’s worked for me ever since. I don’t have to watch for downloads to come in to send their freebie manually. I don’t have to follow up a week later. I don’t have to go into Flodesk and add them to my newsletter. It’s all automatic, and it’s amazing.

Building Business Processes That Work

How do you develop business processes that work for your business? First, map workflows from when someone inquires about your services to the day you offboard them. Visualize the steps involved from the client’s perspective and on your side. What tasks need to be done at each stage in their journey of working with you?

Start to document the process with SOPs. If something were to happen to you (God forbid), I would hope your clients would be understanding, but someone else should be able to use your SOPs and documentation to manage your business for you. That’s how thorough they should be. Include links, steps, videos, templates, etc., to walk through all your business processes. 

Don’t forget to test and tweak! Continuously improve workflows and automation for efficiency. After you have everything set up, you may notice a few months later that there are still things you’re doing manually. Can you establish a business process and automation to take those things off your plate? It’s okay to test and refine your business processes.

Establishing Business Processes for Solopreneurs

Business processes, systems, and automation aren’t for uber-successful entrepreneurs. They’re for people just like you who are out here trying to maintain and grow their businesses. This would be an amazing step to provide the best experience for your clients and establish long-term relationships with them. 

And if you just have NO idea where to start, I highly recommend Ashley at Solution Integrators. She suggested things in my business that I could automate that I had never considered before. She is a gem!