{"id":29196,"date":"2017-11-26T09:44:42","date_gmt":"2017-11-26T14:44:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/creator\/creator\/?p=29196"},"modified":"2020-02-26T14:31:25","modified_gmt":"2020-02-26T19:31:25","slug":"5-tasks-every-savvy-entrepreneur-automate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/professional-development\/5-tasks-every-savvy-entrepreneur-automate","title":{"rendered":"Five tasks every savvy entrepreneur should automate"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Who wants to free up <\/span>time and energy<\/span><\/a> to focus on higher-priority tasks? Everyone, right?!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What could you get done if you were able to free up a few extra hours every week? Get ready to put those projects on your to-do list, once you <\/span>automate<\/span><\/a> the following five tasks<\/span>:<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Consolidate web logins<\/strong><\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you aren\u2019t already using a password manager like <\/span>Lastpass<\/span><\/a> or <\/span>1Password<\/span><\/a>, let <\/span>April Glaser<\/span><\/a> of Wired <\/em>magazine <\/span>convince you of their importance<\/span><\/a>:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPassword managers aren\u2019t just for convenience\u2019s sake; think of it as good online hygiene,\u201d she writes. \u201cMost password managers save and generate secure passwords for you, meaning you only have to remember one password\u2014the one that opens your vault.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Password managers save you time and protect your digital presence, making them a win-win for small business owners.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. <\/strong>Put invoicing on autopilot<\/strong><\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While it\u2019s tough to fully automate your company\u2019s bookkeeping needs, you can still put many of them on autopilot using tools like <\/span>FreshBooks<\/span><\/a>. Once installed, you can set both invoices and <\/span>payment<\/span><\/a> reminders to be delivered automatically, allowing you to spend less time on accounting and more time doing what you love.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

FreshBooks mobile<\/span><\/a> gives you the freedom to <\/span>invoice anywhere<\/span><\/a>. For an even more hands-off approach, pair FreshBooks with a service like <\/span>Bench.co<\/span><\/a>. Not only will you free up the time you\u2019d otherwise spend updating your books, you\u2019ll gain the assurance that your financial needs are being handled by the pros.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. <\/strong>Set up a system for self-employment tax filings<\/strong><\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, if you\u2019re a solo worker, you don\u2019t have to worry about payroll taxes and other employer requirements\u2014but if you\u2019re U.S.-based, you will be on the hook for <\/span>self-employment taxes<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Self-employment taxes are typically filed on a quarterly basis, and it\u2019s up to entrepreneurs to save the required amount and make payments on their own. That is, unless they use a service like <\/span>Painless1099<\/span><\/a>, which automatically pulls a preset percentage out of each incoming client payment to be set aside for tax purposes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. <\/strong>Personalize your<\/strong><\/b> email marketing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you aren\u2019t currently sending automated, trigger- or timing-based email messages to your customers, you\u2019re missing out. While it\u2019s widely acknowledged that <\/span>email marketing can boast a 3,800 percent ROI<\/span><\/a>, \u201cautomated email messages average 70.5 percent higher open rates and 152 percent higher click-through rates than \u2018business as usual\u2019 marketing messages.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Email marketing services<\/span><\/a> like <\/span>Vero<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Drip<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>ConvertKit<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Mailchimp<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Aweber<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>InfusionSoft<\/span><\/a>, and <\/span>Ontraport<\/span><\/a> can help get you started with everything from automated launch sequences, to post-purchase follow-up, to abandoned cart recovery and more.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As AI continues to advance, automated customer service programs are becoming more and more common.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. <\/strong>Supercharge your social media marketing<\/strong><\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Social media marketing<\/span><\/a> is another area that\u2019s seen a tremendous amount of growth in terms of automation. While tools that can automatically load updates to your social profiles (like <\/span>Buffer<\/span><\/a>) have been around for a while, new entries to the field can help you:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n