Starting a business is a wonderful, rewarding, and exciting time for entrepreneurs. However, it can also be a scary and exhausting experience.
It can feel a bit overwhelming with the number of tasks you need to do, and it can be hard to keep track of all the steps. By putting processes and systems in place early, you can help relieve some of the pressure and ensure a smoother operation for you and your clients.
If you’re just starting up a business in the SaaS (Software as a Service) industry, then you probably have a list of administrative, sales, and operational tasks that need to be completed. Here is a list of top tips on the best programs and processes that work for the operational side of the business:
1. Trello
Trello is liking having a web-based to-do list that helps you organize your tasks. Many of the tasks you ‘ll need to do to onboard a client will be the same each time. Trello allows you to create a master list that you can copy for each client and make sure all the necessary tasks are completed.
This will make it easier to see where you are in the process with each client. When the time comes, and your team expands it is also a helpful guide to new starters as they can see all the tasks that need to be completed.
2. DropBox or Google Drive
When you’re starting out and it’s just you and your laptop, it can be tempting to save all your documents to your hard drive. Not only does this pose a risk should anything happen to your computer, but it also makes it difficult for when your company grows and new team members join.
It’s best practice to start saving your documents to a web-based file storage system like DropBox or Google Drive. Make sure that you create folders early on as organization at the start of your journey will help you in the long run.
3. DocuSign
When you finalize a deal, you’ll need to think about contracts. Docusign is a way to send and manage contracts electronically and receive those all-important signatures without having to visit a post box.
Not only does it help free up some of your time and office space but it also helps lessen the environmental impact by saving some trees!
4. Calendar
It may seem like an obvious statement but utilize your calendar. Diary management is a must when running a small business.
Make sure you not only put in client meetings but also reminders on key tasks that need to be complete. If you have regular tasks, use the repeating function so it automatically appears in your calendar.
Don’t forget to put in your personal appointments too so you don’t get too caught up in work and forget about your work-life balance.
5. Toggl
Toggl is a super easy way you can track time related to your routine. You may be surprised at how much time is taken up on a non-revenue generating tasks.
By seeing what takes most of your time, you can think of different processes to reduce this time or consider outsourcing some tasks to allow you more time to focus on the key elements of your business
6. Outsourcing
Outsourcing is another way you can help streamline your daily tasks.
By starting off with systems and processes already in place, you’ll find that it will not only help your day-to-day running of the business but will also help when you want to scale and expand your team.
About the Author
Sian Curtis-Golds is part of the Remote Operations Team at ADAVIRTUAL Business Support – a virtual business support company dedicated to helping small businesses with their administration and operations so they can concentrate on growth.
