How to Automate Your Work From Home Lifestyle While in-office pool tables and La-Z-Boys are now things of the past, Plug and Play Suites are now available for the real entrepreneur.
By Gaurav Gurbaxani Edited by Bill Schulz
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Not many people have experienced the joy of buying a profitable business: Systems are set, processes in place and teams are working in synchronicity.
We all know we need a great idea, great product, thousands of hours in research plus the trial-and-error that comes with it.
Before we begin it's important to note a surprising new poll, commissioned by Wisetail, that asked work-from-homers and them-who've-returned-to-a-cubicle to share thoughts on a number of different office issues.
The LMS and LXP software support company that produced the survey found that nearly 68% of new hires, within the past year, started remotely while 11/% of employees don't have an interest in remote working tools supplied to them nor whether or not companies have strong sick day policies in place, while 10% don't care for stock or equity options.
All are money-saving matters to consider from your end.
Let's now jump the gun, assume you've already become a top achiever, and you now have to pay your taxes...
Automated bookkeeping and software
I don't recommend you fire your auditor just yet but with the many tax tools available in the market, (especially if you're an online business) you can get pretty creative.
Once the books are done, and everyone is paid, it's time to enjoy yourself...
Customer support
Whether you are a one-man show or a multinational corporate, customer support can make or break your brand. Having a system to monitor tickets, automate and answer FAQs is worth every penny. Even better have an outsourced team working round the clock, 24/7 in order to best placate your patrons.
Analytics
Was your marketing campaign a success? Did you reach your goals? How much traffic did your website get? What was your conversion rate?
These are all answers that you should have on a hand dashboard. Measure what you want to grow.
Bots
There is a lot of talk about having internet software programs that perform repetitive tasks that do your heavy lifting. This, combined with your support desk whether it's on your own website, Facebook, mobile app, requires a bot that can tackle 80% of your everyday visitors.
Related: 5 Tips to Build Mental Fitness Within Your Teams
CRM
Solopreneurs think Customer Relationship Management is for big businesses, which is the furthest thing from the truth. Having a simple-to-use CRM can be the difference between being mediocre and mega-successful. You choose which you want to be, and how you want to constantly nurture your clientele. Think marriage more than a one-night-stand.
Email software
Did you know that this is still the number one digital marketing activity a business can engage in? Whether it's a newsletter or an autoresponder sequence, you need to be on top of mind for your leads and existing customers.
Social media presence
Imagine this: You have a kick-ass social media calendar plugged in and scheduled for a year! With more tools on the market, and with the help of a regular freelancer, this can become a reality for you.
Related: 6 Ways to Keep Your Employees Learning At Work
Stock photos and videos
Not an expert graphic designer? Can't edit your own videos? Still, want to build an awesome brand?
Grab those eye-balls with pre-made b-roll and stock images to make an offer or message stand out.
Domains
Invest in a killer domain name.
It's like your business is upgrading from an old/busted used Honda to a new/hotness sexy Ferrari. Your customers will notice.
Funnel
Too lazy to set up a full-blown website?
Setup a quick and easy funnel to collect leads, nurture them into customers and then eventually automated paying customers.
Virtual dream team
Hire said team offshore while saving costs and taking advantage of timezones.
The time is now, get online, build your teams, use technology, keep educating yourself and have your team execute.
Related: 5 Tips to Build Mental Fitness Within Your Team
