You know those tasks? The repetitive and boring ones you struggle to get through? As a trade business owner, these tasks are more common than not. We all know they need to be done. What you may not have realised, is systemising (and sometimes automating) these tasks will save you time. This means you can concentrate your efforts on other profit-inducing tasks that you actually enjoy doing. You could even use some of your extra spare time to spend time with your family.
Check out these 3 steps on how you can systemise those pesky repetitive tasks.:
1. Know what types of tasks are repeated on a daily basis
The first thing you need to do is to identify which tasks you have to do on a daily basis. These are the tasks that cannot go a single day without being done. Create a list and go specifically into the WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, and HOW of each task to allow you to grasp on overview of the task.
For example:
- What: Monitoring your daily profit
- Who: Business owner
- Where: Office
- When: From 7:00 am to 7:20 am
- How: Read the daily profit sheets and analyse financial trends
2. Determine how you can make your task less time-consuming while maintaining quality output
After you have identified your everyday tasks, you can then start analysing each task and figure out how you can do it in a more efficient manner.
Let’s use the details of the example shown earlier. As the example states, the time spent in doing this task is 20 minutes. You’re probably thinking: it’s only 20 minutes, there’s no possible way to shorten it, just suck it up! In fact, it is possible to decrease the amount of time spent on this task.
One way to do this is to create shortcuts of your profit sheets on your desktop or have it easily accessible via your online accounting software so you can easily access the files. No faffing around trying to find the document on your cluttered computer in the first place.
3. Automate where possible
One of the best ways you can create shortcuts for your tasks is through automation.
Let’s refer back to our example task. If you spent a bit of time organising your profit sheets in a way that’s easy for you to read, and understand, and it’s automatically populated like this everyday. Wouldn’t that save you even more time?
Another example here is the use of job management systems. In our own plumbing business, our job management system has allowed us to automate many things. Saving our tradesmen and office staff (and us) hours of time. At the click of a button, we can send an automated text to customers confirming their bookings, send an email with their invoice/quote (no typing necessary, it literally takes maximum two clicks!), and much more.
Starting the get the idea?
The more you automate, the more time you save, and the easier your life is. Even if it’s only two minutes here or there, it all adds up!
Interested in learning more about systemising your tasks, and even your whole business?
What’s next?
- Join our Kick-Ass Tradies Facebook Group, for access to trade business specific conversations, tips and resources, plus a like-minded community of tradies.
- Book a 15-minute Game Plan Call with Andy, owner of Dr. DRiP plumbing and co-founder of Lifestyle Tradie, to clarify your priorities and get clear action steps.
