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Automation in Accounting

Implementing automation in your business can be intimidating at first. Though it’s no secret that it can save you money and time, and speed up your accounting firm’s growth. If you’re having a hard time figuring out the best way to deploy your resources, here’s how to implement automation in accounting to benefit your firm.

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How To Think of Automation in Accounting

Most businesses are smart business owners. They’re looking to increase efficiency by making more money in less time. So when you think about automation in accounting, think of how it allows you to achieve those exact results, by protecting your most valuable resources, time & money.

Automation in accounting is different than automation in other industries. And, the best path to automation is going to be slightly different for each accounting firm. The bottom line is that automating should save you time, and therefore save you money. Some firm owners may automate the client deliverable process, while others choose to automate their lead generation. There are plenty of opportunities to maximize efficiency, you just need to decide which ones are most valuable to you and your team.

Why Should You Automate Your Accounting Firm?

Because “DDAD” said so, that’s why. The DDAD principle is the best way to begin automating your accounting firm. If you follow the four steps of Delete, Do-It, Automate, and Delegate, automating your firm is a simple task. However, there is one thing that often holds up accounting firm owners.

As an entrepreneurial accountant, at the least you’ve been heavily involved in the development of your firm. But most likely, you have been its end-all-be-all from the start. If you really want to transform your firm, this has to stop. You can’t work on your business if you are always working for it. Don’t be afraid to dish responsibilities out when you can.

Delete

Your first task: DELETE. It’s not as simple as pressing a delete button and having your problems disappear, but it’s pretty close. When you work with the right clients all the guidance and effort you put into your services will be appreciated.

If you have a time-sucking client or someone who continuously comes to you last minute and expects you to drop everything and put them first, delete. The same thing goes for your team members. If you need to constantly follow up with them to make sure that things are getting done, they aren’t saving you any time. Send them on their way.

During this part of the process, we also want you to consider what parts of your business that don’t need you to move forward and what things you do daily that can be cut out. For example, if you spend every morning scrolling through social media, delete it. Think of this part of the process as making room for your dream clients and valuable team members who want to contribute.

Do It

This may sound contrary to the automation process, but your next step is to simply DO IT. The Dream Firms’ golden rule is, “If it takes two minutes or less, do it right now.” Replying to an email, responding to a teammate, reviewing a deliverable… If you can complete the task in less than two minutes, check it off your list.

Again, the number one reason that people leave their accounting professionals behind is because of lack of communication. But normally it’s because we’re communicating to the wrong type of person. No matter how much you communicate to the wrong person, they’re never going to see the value in what you guys have to offer.

So please, recognize that’s the relationship you’re going through part ways peacefully and find the people that ultimately do recognize, respect your expertise, and what you bring to the table. I hope you found today’s free tool Friday to be valuable.

Automate

If you work with the right people, all the advice, guidance, effort, and care that you put into your services and your delivery, making sure your expertise is fully understood and maximized will be appreciated. You will be able to generate massive revenue while winning back your time.

Delegate

What is The Difference Between Automation In Accounting and Systems?

Automation and systems often get conflated with one another. In a way, they feel like they’re meant to represent the same thing. Automations play distinct roles in building a system, so I want to give you a really clear definition to close things out.

How to Automate Your Accounting Firm 101