Odds
are that right now you're doing a handful of tasks manually that you don't need
to, like sorting through an endless e-mail inbox. According to Microsoft,
employees spend just under two hours daily on e-mail - that's more than eight
hours a week spent in your inbox instead of on more creative or strategic
projects.
But
many businesses and employees have found a way off the relentless
merry-go-round of to-dos: automation. By using software to manage repetitive
tasks (without human intervention), you can complete your to-do list faster,
spending less time on menial tasks and more time doing the projects you enjoy.
Task #1: Get Your Inbox To Zero (Without Wasting A Day Of Your Life)
E-mail
is essential to our work today, but managing an overflowing inbox is an endless
job. Automation tools, however, can quickly organize and prioritize e-mails,
schedule responses, and even convert e-mails to actionable tasks.
Here
are a few ways to automate your e-mail tasks:
1.
Automating
inbox organization. In every mainstream e-mail platform, you can create
filters and rules. Start by setting up filters in your e-mail to automatically
sort incoming e-mails based on criteria like sender, subject, or specific
keywords. For instance, e-mails containing the word "invoice" can be directed
straight to a designated folder.
2.
Use
labels and categorization. Most e-mail platforms have an automatic label
feature that helps you categorize e-mails more dynamically than folders will
allow. You can apply multiple labels to a single e-mail, making retrieving e-mails that may fall into several categories easier.
3.
Scheduling
and automating e-mail responses. Delayed send or scheduling tools
automatically send your e-mails at predetermined times, which can be
particularly useful for reaching recipients in different time zones. Write now,
send later.
4.
Automate
task creation from e-mails. Automation services can integrate your e-mail
with project management tools and automatically convert incoming e-mails into
actionable tasks, so you never miss an important action item!
5.
Utilizing
AI and advanced automation. If you want to level up your e-mail automation,
some automation tools let you use AI to label new e-mails based on their
content, which can streamline how you prioritize and handle incoming messages.
Task #2: Hands-Off Appointment Scheduling
We're
all busy, but booking a meeting shouldn't require 10 back-and-forth
e-mails. Calendar automation tools remove this annoying exchange by enabling
people to book directly on your calendar and sending automatic event
invitations and reminders.
With
calendar automation tools, you can:
1.
Allow
clients to book directly into your calendar. With automated calendar tools,
customers or team members can view your available time slots and book directly.
2.
Sync
schedules across devices and team members. These tools can also sync with
most e-mail platforms, ensuring all team members are updated in real-time when
a time or location changes.
3.
Send
automated appointment reminders. Calendar tools also support sending
automated appointment reminders. These can be customized to send before
the appointment, reducing no-shows and ensuring everyone is on time and
prepared.
Task #3: Streamline Bookkeeping
Tracking
the ins and outs of finances manually is tedious and can also be subject to
more human error. Here are three ways automation improves bookkeeping:
1.
Automatically
import and categorize transactions. Automation software can automatically
pull in and categorize transactions from your bank accounts and credit cards,
dramatically reducing the need for manual entry and helping maintain cleaner,
more organized financial records.
2.
Generate
custom financial reports with one click. Automated reporting tools also
have robust capabilities for generating detailed financial reports instantly.
These platforms allow for real-time insights into financial performance,
enabling leaders to make informed business decisions quickly.
3.
Integrate
with your bank and payment processors: There are tools that also provide
comprehensive integration with banking systems and payment processors that
track cash-flow management and ensure that all transactions are automatically
recorded and reconciled in your accounting software.
Focus On The Work You Enjoy
E-mail, appointments, and bookkeeping are critical to running your work and business, but they don't need to be a mind-numbing time suck. Use simple automation tools to take manual tasks off your plate so you can focus on the creative and strategic parts of your business you enjoy most.
