Starting a business? Growing a business? These are some of the most exciting times.
And without the proper systems, processes, or support in place, they can quickly become some of the most stressful times.
One common hurdle is the overwhelming tide of admin or “paper” work. Face it, as you sink into the necessities of getting the behind-the-scenes, office work done for your clients you’re losing out on time further developing or growing your business, or spending time doing the things you love.
The key? Finding opportunities to enhance your productivity.
Understanding Productivity for Your Business
First, it’s crucial to understand that productivity isn’t just about doing more in less time; it’s about doing the right things efficiently. As a business owner, your “right things” are those tasks that directly contribute to your business’s growth and success. Some tasks, while necessary, often don’t fall into this category. And some tasks are the ones you simply can not ignore.
For instance, a client has agreed to terms you’ve set and is ready to pay you for your job. However, you put off sending them an invoice. Maybe, depending on your business structure, you even do the work first before you ever see a cent. Then days go by, weeks…maybe months… and when cash flow is getting real low you decide, “Okay, I really need to get that invoice over to them now.”
Surely, they’ll pay you the instant they receive it right? Unless you’ve set that expectation beforehand the chances are very unlikely. In fact, the horror stories flood in with clients who never pay or forget you even did a job for them in the first place. In other words, they’ve moved on, while the nagging idea that you needed to invoice them just loomed until its replaced with the worry of “will they ever even pay you?”
Using Technology to Enhance Your Business
So where do we go from here? Well, try this on… imagine you’re in a boxing match. Across from you, your opponent is throwing a punch. You don’t want to get hit, right?
In that case, the best thing to do is deal with the punch before it actually hits you — you know, let’s say block or move out of the way. The worst time to deal with a punch is when it’s already landing square on your chin.
That’s really where you need to be in your business. Proactive. Taking action before it gets to a point where you’re wondering how to get out of or fix a bad situation.
This is where technology can be your best friend (queue the “I’m old and hate technology” memes). And, for some people, I get it… Technology can be scary. There may be a learning curve. Just like anything else in life, you learned, and the more learned, the better you got at it.
The good news is, technology doesn’t have to be complex or scary.
AND, ten times out of ten, firing off an invoice from an app like Lnvo will be 100% faster than the old pen and paper route.
That’s exactly why we built Lnvo: to streamline your business process so you can get more done, easier and faster.
Create Systems and Processes that Make Sense to You
Alright, so we have established that technology is really your friend. Next you have to figure out what tasks are you really doing over and over.
Are you spending time in spreadsheets to manage new client info? I hope not.
Lnvo is set up to take guess work out of some of the systems and processes you need to run your business.
Client and project management? Check. Calendar of events? Check. Generate estimates, invoices, and change orders on the fly? Check.
The real key is now implementing those things at a time that makes sense for your business. Take this scenario for example:
You sent over an estimate to be approved by your client. Good news! They got it, signed it, and approved it. Instantly you get a notification from Lnvo and pull open the PDF of the estimate with their captured digital signature in place.
Now, what do you do? Wait until later to actually send over the invoice? You don’t want to seem too desperate, right?
No way. Send that invoice over right now. Desperate? Give me a break. You’re not dating them, you’re trying to catch them while they’re in the mode of getting you approved and paid. Send that invoice now!
That small mindset shift and process development can be the key to getting you paid faster. Find triggers or set aside time at the beginning AND end of your day to take care of those estimates and invoices.
Beginning AND end? YES! Honestly, with Lnvo it’s all going to be a breeze anyways. From entering in saved line-items to auto-calculated invoices. You’ll take care of it all in minutes, not hours.
Learn and Adapt
Will our fictional scenario here work for everyone? Of course not. And, some of you may already have dialed in systems. However, what we’re looking for are more opportunities to leverage what’s in front of us to get things done more efficiently.
Lnvo even puts the most important metrics right in front of you including documents that need your attention. That way you never have to scramble to think of who owes you money or needs to approve your proposal.
Once you start tying these ideas together, you’re starting to piece together a winning operating system with Lnvo as your cornerstone.
That way, you can reclaim your day, grow your business, and get back to doing the things you love.
Ready to make Lnvo a part of your business foundation? Use our Free Forever plan and download Lnvo today on Apple’s App Store or Google Play for Android.
