When you run a business, the school run can really stop your flow and eat into your time. This causes stress, resentment, tantrums (that’s just from you) and ultimately a loss of productivity and therefore profit.
Using my iPhone, and apps like XERO, AutoEntry, Zoom and Evernote, I can get stacks done.
Firstly, let me clarify something. When I say on the school run, I don’t mean when you are driving. This would be illegal and madness (have you seen how people drive on the school run!). I mean when you’re waiting in the car or at the gates. Or the ultimate time drain… waiting for the tennis lesson, ballet class, brownie session to end. You know the one that’s just that little bit too far to justify going home, so you end up staying for an hour.
Making the most of your hanging around time
- Sort out your receipts
Empty your purse, wallet, glove compartment and sort your receipts into personal, business and rubbish. Upload the business ones into XERO using AutoEntry expenses.
- Create a sales invoice from the XERO app on your phone
Then email it straight to your client. If they prefer to use text, Facebook messenger or WhatsApp, you can share it that way instead. Just find the invoice on your app by clicking on Sales > Invoices. Select the invoice you want to share, then click on Options in the right hand corner and Share.
- Create a quote on XERO
When you have a good meeting with a potential new customer, you want to get back to them quickly with a proposal on how you can help them. It’s so easy to get distracted and lose momentum. Using XERO you can either draft a quote for a bespoke service or even better set up your products or services as inventory items on XERO which you can search for and select, to save typing the same thing over and over. For example, ‘Bookkeeping Blitz £250 per day’.
- Have a video meeting
I use Zoom to talk to clients face to face. It’s useful because you can screenshare and also record the meeting. This makes it easy to make notes afterwards and follow up.
- Listen to a podcast
This is one of my favourites. Running a business can be a lonely experience at times, I find listening to people that have the same goals as me very helpful and comforting. Whether your goal is improving your marketing, running a marathon or sorting your garden there will be a podcast to help. If you’re not sure where to start try browsing the Business category on the iTunes podcast app.
My current business favourite is The Janet Murray Show. She has some fantastic guests and is a real expert on Marketing and PR herself. If you are interested in learning more about cloud apps to help with your bookkeeping you might find Cloud Stories/Cloud Accounting by Heather Smith useful.
I hope you find this helpful, it is not intended to make you feel guilty. It is totally ok to stand at the gates and talk about I’m a celebrity or the cute new PE teacher. However, if you would like to know more about the apps I have discussed, feel free to follow me on Facebook or contact me.