| p>What is Small Business Process Management? | | | | be ideal to automate the help desk system or supply |
| Business process management can help small | | | | ordering process. If you are a solo entrepreneur, you |
| businesses in two ways: (1) identifying repeatable | | | | can automate billing, setting up accounts, tasks you |
| processes and (2) automating them. | | | | send to your virtual assistant, article writing or |
| Automating repeatable processes (straightforward | | | | blogging, responding to basic questions or concerns, |
| ways of doing things that you do over and over | | | | or even your social networking! |
| again the same way) saves time and money by | | | | Small Business Process Automation in Action |
| removing guesswork, making training easier, and | | | | You probably will recognize some or all of these |
| allowing you to take a break from running your | | | | things, but you may not have learned to implement |
| business without the whole thing falling apart! | | | | them in your own business. This is where a business |
| Business process management takes into account | | | | process consultant can help. Which of these is right |
| the things you do every day to make your business | | | | for your business? All of them? None of them? |
| run and lays them out visually, so you can see just | | | | - Automated or semi-automated supply ordering (e.g., |
| how your business looks when drawn out in a | | | | food, office supplies, etc.) |
| diagram. This is a great way to discover your | | | | - Automated new account creation |
| repeatable processes. When you work with a small | | | | - Frequently Asked Questions booklets or page on |
| business process consultant, you talk through your | | | | your website |
| business processes, where you can trim activity and | | | | - Help desk system for internal employees or outside |
| where you can ramp up activity, so that your | | | | clients |
| business can run more smoothly and be more | | | | - Project management software |
| profitable. | | | | - Time tracking systems for yourself, employees or |
| For example, if you own a small cafe or flower shop | | | | contractors |
| and every Monday you take inventory and order | | | | - Billing management systems |
| supplies, it would be ideal to find a way to automate | | | | - Online postage/printing shipping labels |
| at least part of that process. Or, if you run a small | | | | There a hundred more we could add to this list. What |
| organization of 50 employees or contractors, it would | | | | have you automated in your small business? |