If you’ve ever been to a conference or meeting where a panel of people behind 7 figure success stories share their secrets, you’ve most definitely heard at least one tell you the secret to success is to spend your time working on the tasks that ONLY YOU can do and to begin outsourcing everything else.
They’re right. There is absolutely no reason you should be emptying the trash, stocking the kitchen, scanning in tax forms, or securing signatures from your clients in person at this stage in the game. You have better things to do with your time. And as they say, time is money.
Technology makes saving money a cinch. These days you can automate many of the budget-sucking administrative tasks that pull you away from true revenue-generating activity.
For example, if you need to stay visible in front of prospects that might buy someday but aren’t ready quite yet, you have three options. You can use your valuable time to get it done and lose $100+ per hour. You can hire an assistant (that will run you at least $11 per hour) to do it for you, or you can invest in email automation tools that will run you about $200 per month but take an almost full-time job off of your to-do list. We use (and really like) Infusionsoft because it allows us to send personalized emails to segmented lists on demand. It’s smart enough to recognize when recipients do or don’t click on this or that and will send follow up emails accordingly. This is a task that could easily eat up 15+ hours a week if you managed in manually or hired someone to handle it for you. With Infusionsoft, we’re able to set it and forget it. Kind of like a crock pot. But better. 🙂
Technology can also make saving money simple by giving you the tools you need to comparison shop in a matter of minutes. Need new software, office furniture or branded pens? A quick Google search will likely produce a comparison chart that shows you why you might want to choose one brand over another. And if you’re out and about trying to determine if that new printer is really the deal it appears to be, an app like ShopSavvy will be your new BFF because it will tell you right then and there what the lowest price on the market is for that exact item.
Fortunately, the marketplace is flooded with apps and programs to help you work more efficiently and save money at the same time. If work paper standardization, identifying missing source documents and saving time when creating tax work papers turns you on, look no further than SurePrep’s “1040Scan Organize.” This software automatically bookmarks and organizes standard 1040 and 1041 source documents. Then it prepares and reviews tax returns using SPbinder, their advanced paperless work paper system. Get a free trial.
If data entry makes you dizzy and you’re all too familiar with hourly rates that seem to add up way to fast when you hire help, check out GruntWorx Populate. It automatically extracts information from scanned client documents and inserts it into the most popular tax preparation software on the market. Think how much money you’ll save not by not paying someone to enter data manually that can be electronically fetched in a snap! Click here to give it a whirl.
TicTie Calculate (TTC) is another winning tool you may want to consider using. It’s licensed to more than 10,000 accountants to date and there’s a good reason why: it allows you to organize and annotate digital. PDF files the same way you’ve previously done on paper. Say hello to the seamless use of digital work papers and files and goodbye to the endless pile of copy paper or ink cartridges that you’re always buying. Schedule a demonstration.
Need your clients to complete and sign documents online? You’ll love RightSignature, which replicates the pen-and-paper signing experience in any web browser. Fully complete with the E-Sign Act, this fancy tool is faster, cheaper and more secure than paper documents. Get instant free access here.
We’re not in the business of suggesting that you replace humans with technology altogether; however, we ARE in the business of using technology to save money when you can and assigning the tasks that require more of a personalized touch to the humans that can bring that to the table.
Did we miss an app or program that everyone absolutely needs to know about? Let us know in the comments!
Be sure and check back with us next month when we’ll share some vital tips to help you increase your sales so you can get even more money in your pocket every month!
