{"id":36897,"date":"2021-11-23T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-11-23T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/honeybook.site.strattic.io\/?p=36897"},"modified":"2023-01-19T16:41:37","modified_gmt":"2023-01-20T00:41:37","slug":"business-that-can-run-without-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hbb.dev.reliablepenguin.com\/blog\/business-that-can-run-without-you","title":{"rendered":"4 Ways to Make Sure Your Business Can Run Without You"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Follow these steps to make sure your business is set up to run without you, whether you need to take a sick day or enjoy some well-deserved time off! These tried-and-true processes come from HoneyBook Pros<\/a> who\u2019ve learned how to keep their businesses moving forward no matter what. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Business<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

While running a business on your own, you probably aren\u2019t thinking much about whether it can run without you. Why worry about it when you\u2019re the one at the reins? <\/span><\/p>\n

Even if you aren\u2019t considering selling your business or bringing on new management, there are many reasons you still need a business that can run without you. Sick days happen as well as personal matters we don\u2019t see coming. Besides that, you also deserve to take time off like everyone else!<\/span><\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t have the proper plan in place, these scenarios can lead to added stress and, worst of all, you might accidentally leave your clients hanging. Instead, follow these 4 steps used by <\/span>HoneyBook Pros<\/span><\/a> themselves to make sure your business can still run smoothly in your absence. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Fine-Tune Your Automations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With business automation<\/a>, you can make sure a lot of your admin work and daily tasks keep moving without your oversight. Things like following up with inquiries, sending reminders and nurturing leads are all tasks that you can automate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of the time, these tasks are beneficial to automate even before you need to take time off. By setting them up early, you can monitor how they work and optimize them so you have more peace of mind in a situation where you\u2019re completely out of office or offline. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using HoneyBook’s client workflow automation software<\/a>, you can automate your responses any time someone inquiries through your contact form, which is an essential task to help you convert more leads to clients. Furthermore, you can build automated task reminders for your employees and next steps in your projects for clients to complete or review, such as sending out files. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you set up your automation, you can customize the triggers down to the minute after clients or leads take certain actions, such as submitting a brochure, paying online invoices<\/a> or completing a prior step. The next time you\u2019re out sick, your projects will move forward without so much as the click of a button.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Document Your SOPs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Though automations can capture much of your daily tasks and keep projects moving forward, there\u2019s always the case that something outside of the norm will occur while you\u2019re unavailable. For these situations, it\u2019s best to document your SOPs (standard operating procedures) for anyone who needs to know how to handle the next steps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some examples of SOPs you should have on hand include: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Marketing Procedures – <\/strong>Document the channels you use for marketing and how you use them. For instance, this SOP would include your process for creating a newsletter campaign as well as how to create and schedule posts on social media. This would also be the best place to mention your procedure for answering comments and messages. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Client Communication<\/a> and Meetings – <\/strong>Because not all client communication can be automated, you should document some of your typical responses and especially how to deal with client issues. Also cover any standard procedures for meetings, such as meeting scheduling tools<\/a>, the system you use (Zoom\/Google Meet), and how to develop an agenda.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Events – <\/strong>If your business is in the event space, this is one of the most important SOPs to create. You will likely want a different SOP for each type of event you service, but it should include documentation for running the event, contacting vendors, wrapping up and more. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Sales Process<\/a> <\/strong>– You may be able to automate much of your sales process, such as following up with leads and sending a services brochure. Yet, not every lead will follow the same workflow, so you\u2019ll need to equip your staff with the answers and information to continue moving leads forward. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Project Management <\/strong>– Your project management SOP might include the general steps for different types of projects you offer. That way, if you\u2019re out during a major project milestone, your staff can still refer to the SOP to know how to handle it. Your documentation can also include instructions for tracking time and closing out projects in your CMS or project management software. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Once your SOPs are created, make sure anyone who might need them knows how to access and use them. In addition to the SOPs, you\u2019ll also need to make sure they can access the tools and software associated with each. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Tonisha Stalnaker,<\/a> HoneyBook Pro and owner of Stalnaker Virtual Solutions, uses different types of SOPs for project management, procedures and more. She stores both written and video versions of SOPs in her project management software and workspace so her team can use them to understand how to submit time, move projects forward and use all of their tools and software.<\/p>\n\n\n\n