Give Me 10 Minutes and I’ll Fix the Biggest Time-Wasters in Your Business

Five Places to Look for Wasted Time

1. 1. Entering customer information more than onceHave website inquiries and phone inquiries go into the same customer system. The aim is to enter the details once instead of copying them between emails, spreadsheets, and job records.
2. 2. Going back and forth to book an appointmentFor appointments with a predictable length, such as a short introductory call, let customers choose from your available times. Longer or more complicated jobs may still need a conversation first.
3. 3. Remembering follow-ups and chasing invoicesGive every estimate a follow-up date. Once that is working, check whether your existing software can handle suitable reminders. Estimate follow-ups should stop when the customer responds, and payment reminders should stop when the invoice is paid.
4. 4. Hunting for customer and job detailsKeep contact information, the work being done, its current status, and the next step in one place your team knows how to use.
5. 5. Repeating the same steps between tasksLook for predictable handoffs, such as creating a scheduling task after an estimate is approved. Use built-in features where available. Improve the process before automating it, and keep decisions that need your judgment with a person.

Where I’d Start

Pick the problem causing the most trouble or involving the most people. Fix that one, then move on to the next. You don’t have to sort out the whole business in one afternoon.