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“...The content you are pushing out is really impressive. This is really admirable. There are people like me, years behind you, that you are inspiring whether you know it or not.”
— - Organization Development Consultant

Technology and Systems for Small Businesses: Being Efficient

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Sarah A. Scala, M. Ed & OD, ACC

Estimated Reading Time: 2 Minutes

Since re-branding my company, Sarah Scala Consulting, a few months ago, I realized that I am using a lot of technology and systems to support the business! I began to feel overwhelmed with managing the day-to-day operations and all the marketing systems. Through conversations with my SCORE mentors, a spreadsheet was created showing the current-state and future-state of the systems. This analysis also included the frequency of use.

This spreadsheet helped to quantify the amount of time devoted to each task and system. From these insights, I identified ways to use certain systems for multiple tasks and streamline processes. It's often helpful to take a look at what we're spending our time doing as entrepreneurs, and what we may be able to delegate or eliminate.

Systems that I currently used to run my business include:

  • Google For Business (Gmail, Google Calendar and Google Hangout for video calls) *

  • Quicken for Business (to manage accounting) *

  • Squarespace (for website hosting )*

  • HubSpot Sales CRM (for keeping track of my clients)

  • MailChimp (to send my newsletter and manage my email list sign ups)

  • HootSuite (for my online web and social media presence )

  • LinkedIn (personal and business pages to connect and share articles and blogs)

  • Survey Monkey (for program evaluations)

  • Evernote (for note taking)

  • Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel

  • Asana (for tasks and project management)

* = System with a Fee

Because new businesses often do not have a lot of extra resources, I suggest really focusing on what systems are absolutely needed to get started. This may include an accounting system like Quicken / QuickBooks, a system to manage your email, and a website system like Wordpress or Squarespace.

What systems or technology have you found helpful as an entrepreneur or a small business owner?  

Please share in the comments. If you have specific questions, ask me. I'm happy to help.  

Questions? Let’s connect. I would love to hear your success stories. Please send them to: hello@sarahscala.com or visit www.sarahscala.com

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About the Author:
Sarah Scala is a senior talent management leader and executive coach with 20+ years of experience providing organization development, change management, and leadership development solutions for diverse global and local industries. She is a collaborative consultant, coach, and educator supporting performance transformation of executives, leaders, and teams. Sarah is a methodical, results-driven leader recognized for helping clients reach their highest potential, increase revenue, reduce turnover, elevate business profitability, build competencies, and improve performance.

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Small Business ManagementSarah A. Scala2 Comments