When running a small to medium business (SMB), your margins are usually tight. You need to balance what investments you make for your business with the revenue you are bringing in. Sometimes the toughest to justify are administrative costs. It can feel like there is no concrete connection when it comes to measuring a return on investment for these costs. However, investing in automation is one of the best ways for you to grow your business, save money, and make your life easier. If you are thinking of taking the plunge and automating some of your business processes, then here’s why it would be a good idea.
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It’s Scalable
Ultimately, you want your business to grow. In fact, you should be planning for it. However, sometimes things happen quickly and growth is sudden. This can put a strain on SMBs that aren’t prepared for it. Staffing gets difficult, and it can seem like there aren’t enough hours in the day. You end up needing to scramble to fill needs and keep your operations moving forward under strain. However, by using software that automates your business practices, you don’t have to worry about struggling to keep up. They will easily handle the extra work and keep you on top of things at all times.
It Will Save You Money
Yes it’s an investment. But the whole point of an investment is to get something back for it. For starters, certain procedures require a significant amount of staff time. This is time that you or one of your team members could use for other things, such as working to grow your business. Two, sometimes automation can help you save money on a regular basis. For example, using paperless accounts payable will make sure that invoices are always paid on time. This will help to avoid late fees, but it can also help you meet discount deadlines that some vendors offer.
Reduce Errors
There’s nothing worse than running a report and finding that the numbers don’t make sense. Then you have to search through to find out where the problem lies. Automation can help prevent this. Once you’ve set up the software with your preferred parameters, you can let it do what it does without fear of errors. When things are processed manually, there is always the possibility of human error, such as entering data incorrectly or misplacing files or invoices. However, with automated expense management software, you never have to worry that any queries or reports you run are incorrect, or that there are misplaced documents in a filing cabinet somewhere.
Up-To-Date Data
There’s nothing worse than needing some information and finding out that what you have in your database is outdated or missing some figures. This can happen with manual processing, since it can only go at the speed of the person handling the task. Data entry is often pushed to the side in favor of other priorities when things get busy.
However, automation will help you avoid those uncomfortable times when a superior asks for data and you don’t have it yet. Your CRM software and other databases can be updated in real-time, so whenever you pull your information it will be accurate and up-to-date. You won’t have to worry about anything missing or incorrect. Data is everything for SMBs, so you can make sure that you have the best of it.
Improved Customer Service
Automation can help to improve your customer service standards and build further trust with your clients. You can use chatbots to answer questions and provide product suggestions, for example. This also allows you to essentially offer a form of 24/7 customer service since clients will be able to get some kind of help around the clock, even when everyone on your team is fast asleep. Automating purchasing procedures will make it easy for customers to buy your products, get their receipts, and even make returns. When customers have it easy, they will be more likely to keep coming back to your business again and again.
Employee Morale
Earlier, it was mentioned that data entry can often be pushed aside by staff in favor of other priorities. Why do you think that happens? It happens because data entry is usually not very interesting. It’s not challenging, and it doesn’t engage the mind, so people will naturally avoid it if they can. By taking some of these processes off their plates, you will help to increase employee morale and make them happier at work. Having a happy workforce means better productivity and customer relations, so you should do what you can to make that happen. Automating some of those boring tasks can help do the trick.
It’s the Way of the World
There was a time a couple of decades ago when certain people avoided getting mobile phones. Even as they gained popularity, they stuck to what they’d known for their whole lives and didn’t want to spend the extra money. However, as time passed, taking such a position is no longer possible. To fully take advantage of everything modern society has to offer, you simply need to have a mobile phone.
The same goes with automation. Everyone else is doing it. If you aren’t, then your brand will seem backwards and unprofessional. Customers who aren’t able to make their purchases automatically will go elsewhere. Vendors will charge you more for processing your manual cheques. Automation is the way of the world now, and your business needs to keep up. If not, the world, and your competition, will leave you in the dust.
