Momentum Biz Tip #7 (to delay hiring a team member)

May 22, 2024/in Hiring & Biz Tips

This Biz Tips series is inspired by the modules in our Momentum Accelerator.

Biz Tip # 7: Don't put a person where a process should be

Sonya Moore is a process and automation expert and the owner of Moore Planning and Consulting. She shared this tip with me.

Definition:

Sonya helps business owners standardize their processes. The efficiency that results often reduces the need for an additional employee.

If and when you do need to hire an employee to share your workload, the processes that you have in place make it much easier to train that new team member.

Let’s talk for a moment about the difference between a process and a procedure.

A process is a high-level overview, while a procedure is a step-by-step set of instructions. So if the process is: get a cup of coffee, the procedure would be: pick up a mug from the counter, take it to the coffee pot, pour coffee into it, add cream and stir.

So you need both. For greater efficiency, the processes to focus on are the things you do that have a repeatable procedure.

In your business, your repeatable processes might include:

• onboarding process for new hires

• sales process to turn leads into buyers

• production process to make your beautiful widgets

By breaking down your processes into sets of procedures, you will begin to see opportunities for greater efficiency.

And if you can automate any steps in the procedure (or even entire processes), well, that could truly save you money.

A small example:

Last week at Real Talk, we were discussing things we avoid at work and why. One woman mentioned that entering business cards into her CRM after a networking event was such a hassle, so she often put it off.

Turns out that the CRM she uses, has a feature where it will scan a business card and convert it to a contact!

For small things and large things, automation can truly be a #gamechanger.

Why you should care:

Sometimes it’s comforting to feel busy. We’re spinning our plates and absolutely everything feels both urgent and important. We feel like we don’t have time to be more efficient because IT ALL JUST NEEDS TO GET DONE.

But what if we’re taking 4 hours to do something that could be streamlined to take just one hour? Then multiply those 3 saved hours by the number of your inefficient processes.

Imagine having that time back. What would you do with it?

Give it some thought.

Do you feel super, crazy busy—the kind of busy that will lead to burnout?

Or are you looking for efficiencies in your workflow so that you’re spending your time on the MMA’s (money-making activities)?

If so, what processes in your business might be bloated with time wasters? How could you leverage some of the automation tools on the marketplace to save yourself time and money?

Explore Momentum

You’ll get so much more than you can image and the strategies you’ll put into place will make your business stronger and more profitable.

If you’re ready to grow your business, join us in MOMENTUM. Learn more here.

Written by Jill Morenz, President & CEO at Aviatra Accelerators