I’ve been listening to the book The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck by Mark Manson and in it he refers to a character he wishes existed called “disappointment panda”. Pretty much it’s a jolly panda who likes margaritas and delivers unpleasant but necessary realizations (you talk to much, you blame your parents for everything, you don’t accept responsibility for your actions, etc.).
Side note: This character seems harsh but if you read the book you’ll get the point. Anyway…
I started thinking, if I could create a fictional character it would be called “automation unicorn”. Automation unicorn would be the ONE AND ONLY tool we needed to automate and systematize our business. She’d fly in with her shiny horn (why did that feel so weird to type??), long, flowing mane (weirder??) and with a swipe of her magical hoof make my business a well-oiled machine!
But, sadly, there is no automation unicorn.
No ONE tool that will do #allthethings.
Here in the real world, you typically need 2-3 different tools to get the job done (i.e. automated, streamlined and deliciously efficient).
Now, here comes the tricky part…..
What tools do you need? How do you decide?
With so many options available it can feel confusing to know which tools to use and how many you need for your business.
To start, it helps to separate the many tools/software/apps/whatever into like categories. From there you can pick one from each category to make sure you have all your bases covered.
Examples:
CRM: Customer Relationship Management
These tools help you automate and manage proposals, invoices, contracts and leads. If your business is service-based than a CRM is a must.
Popular CRM’s: Dubsado, 17hats, HoneyBook
Project Management Application
These tools are used for creating workflows. When used well they keep deadlines in check, team members informed and projects on track. Again, if you offer a service to client you’ll want one of these. They’re also super helpful for managing content, running a podcast, and tackling launches.
Popular Project Management Applications: Trello, Asana, Airtable, Monday.com
Scheduling
These tools allow for clients, collaborators and leads to schedule calls with you MINUS all the emails back and forth about picking a time. You can set up different appointment types, create intake forms and even accept payments. If you ever schedule calls, these tools are lifesavers.
Popular Scheduling Tools: Acuity, Calendy
See where I’m going with this?
By dividing the many platforms into categories, it gets easier to see which TYPE of program you need and significantly narrows the playing field. Also, once you decide on one tool, look for tools from the other categories that “play nice” with the one you’ve already selected.
Other things to consider include cost, team members tech ability, and what you’d like to track in your business.
It can take some time to figure out the rights tools for your business, but knowing what you’re looking will save you tons of time and money.