If you are a sole trader, you are likely to have an excellent understanding of the importance of saving time. The less you have to concentrate on the day-to-day running of your business, the more time you can spend fulfilling your customer’s needs. And that – as we all know – is what makes you money. So, with this in mind, we thought we would have a look at some of the business services out there that can free up your all-important time. Ready? OK, let’s get started.
Accountant
Many sole traders choose to do their own accounts, but, however efficient you are, it won’t match the speed and accuracy of a professional accountant. They will be able to take the pain away from completing your tax returns, help give you advice on where to invest your profits, and also help you save money. Throw in the fact that they will free up your time and give you to a week extra each year to earn money, and you can see the advantages straight away.
Online Services
If you need a lot of work done that takes you away from your business priorities, then outsource it. Services like Fiverr are valuable to many sole traders because you can pass on those tasks to willing workers, who will complete the far quicker – and cheaper – than you can. It’s the humdrum, run-of-the-mill stuff that you can outsource. Think about creating spreadsheets and databases, or building up customer profiles for your marketing efforts. You may even find someone from a developing country that could build you a website for next to nothing. As long as you are clear with your instructions and careful with who you hire, there is plenty of opportunity there to cut back on your time on repetitive, day-to-day tasks.
Personal Answer Phone
Sole traders can have enormous problems with communicating with customers. You can expect to receive most of your enquiries for a potential bit of business during regular office hours. The trouble is, that’s when you are servicing your current client base. As some people don’t like leaving answer phone messages, if you can’t respond to the phone, you could be losing business. The answer? Try a professional answering service. They are inexpensive to run, and as long as you are happy with the customer service they offer, they will help your business considerably. Your potential customers will be pleased to have spoken to someone, and the answer service company can arrange a convenient time for you to ring them back.
Marketing Agency
As your business grows, you are going to have less time to concentrate on your marketing. When that happens, you will be locked in a seemingly endless loop – you are too busy to promote your services, but can’t grow enough to warrant taking on new staff. At this stage of your business, you should look into hiring a marketing agency. They don’t have to be a big, expensive service – in fact, in some cases another sole trading marketing expert might be the best fit. Outsourcing your marketing can help you get through that tricky period and come out the other side as an expanded and profitable business.
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