Ship smarter: This website compares rates for all available carriers, including UPS, FedEx and DHL, so you know the best price. They include current discount codes, too. Score.
Streamline workflow with these automation tips
Are you sick of wasting time on repetitive tasks? You don’t have to go it alone. Automation can streamline lead generators, customer service and other business needs. We’ll show you how in our step-by-step guide to small business automation.
What can you automate in your small business?
So you want to be more productive. Here are four ways Google Keep can help. Aside from that, you can also automate daily tasks like data entry, appointment scheduling, follow-up emails or even social media posting. This will free up time to focus on more pressing tasks.
According to Quixy, 77% of marketers who use automation see an increase in conversions. Best of all, it’s not complicated. You can start to automate your small business by taking advantage of tools you might not know about.
For example, tools like Zapier can help automate data entry between different platforms. If you need help managing appointments, check out tools like Calendly or Acuity. They’ll send automatic reminders and schedule recurring events so you don’t have to.
That’s just the beginning. Here are a few other tasks you can automate:
- Lead generation: Tools like lead magnets and landing pages are great ways to automate the lead generation process. You can also use these tricks to get more people to your site.
- Invoicing and payments: Automate the payment processes with tools like Xero or FreshBooks, which help set recurring invoices and automatic payment reminders. Our sponsor, NetSuite, is another helpful tool to overlook your business processes. More on that later.
- Social media: Tools like Buffer, Hootsuite or Later help schedule social media posts ahead of time.
- Email marketing: You can set up autoresponders and triggered emails with Constant Contact. Additionally, Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) helps streamline email marketing with automation workflows.
We have an in-depth guide for email marketing to help you launch more effective campaigns. Use these three secrets to launch a successful newsletter.
How to start using small business automation
Tools, check! Are you feeling overwhelmed by all the possibilities? Don’t let automation alarm you. Follow these simple steps to begin.
- Examine your daily tasks. Look for repetitive things you do every day.
- Find specific automation tools that will work for your business.
- Implement the tools next. Start small and test out different tools to see which best fits into your workflow.
Stay vigilant in monitoring your automation processes and tweak them as necessary to maintain effectiveness. If you’re looking for other ways to upgrade your business processes, we can help.
Free online financial calculators to get debt under control, plan for retirement and see your net worth
If you need help managing your money, you’ve come to the right place. We have tons of financial tips for investors and small business owners. Case in point: Here are 10 free spreadsheet templates to help you get a handle on your money.
An allowance for grown-ups: Social Security is upgrading its login system and ditching mySocialSecurity usernames and passwords. Using the mySocialSecurity site? You’ll need to create a new login ID for Login.gov. If you already have a Login.gov account or an ID.me login, you’re good to go. Yeah, it’s confusing, but what do you expect from the government?
1 free day at Disneyland
For Disney+ subscribers. The catch: You have to buy two days to get the third day free. That’s $330 total if you visit one park per day from now until Jan. 6. I guess they really need to get their subscriber numbers up.
💰 Your go-to rideshare app may not offer the best deals, depending on your location. Type your pickup and drop-off points into RideGuru to get a comparison of rideshare options in your area, including Uber, Lyft, Curb, Ola Cabs and DiDi Rider.
Smaller or regional options (like those names above you probably don’t recognize) can be a lot cheaper than Uber. Try Wingz, too, if you’re scheduling a ride to the airport in advance.
Speaking of, many airports add an expensive rideshare fee that gets passed along to you. I know someone who takes the airport shuttle to the nearest hotel or parking area instead of directly to the airport, and they catch an Uber from there to their destination instead.
Reader question: 'What can I use instead of QuickBooks?'
If you’re a business owner, you don’t need us to tell you that running a business is tough. Don’t let QuickBooks and spreadsheets slow you down, making things more complicated than necessary. It’s time to upgrade to our sponsor NetSuite.
Job site comparison: LinkedIn vs. ZipRecruiter vs. Craigslist
Where do you look for your next career move? There are several job boards, but which is right for you?
Let’s look at a few places job seekers go online and find the right one for your needs.
Gen Z is paying the price: Around 47% plan to use buy now, pay later services for their holiday shopping, and about 65% like using credit card installment plans — higher than any other generation. But many Gen Zers are spending on things like meals at fancy restaurants, designer goods and first-class plane tickets. This isn’t going to end well.
🗑️ One man’s trash: Microsoft’s Trade-in Program turns old gadgets into green. Head to its site, pick what you’ve got (laptops, tablets, gaming consoles — whatever), and receive up to $500. Amazon has the same program, so check to see which offers you more moolah.
We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.
Deals without tracking: Download your grocery store’s app for the best possible prices. No one says you have to use your real email address and phone number if you’re not into the data collection. Make a burner account!
Making money in podcasting: It’s not easy. Spotify wants to lure creators away from YouTube. Their plan? Pay hosts of popular shows and let premium subscribers watch ad-free (paywall link). YouTube pays creators 55% of ad revenue; Spotify estimates a show pulling in between 1 million and 2 million views a month would earn about $50,000 with them. That’s not a bad return, btw.
Got this question from Sharon in Chicago: “How much can I make selling books on Amazon?” Be careful how you price your books. For e-books priced between $2.99 and $9.99, you’ll get 70% in royalties. Anything above or below that range drops your royalties to 35%. For paperbacks, you’ll get 60% of the list price (minus printing costs, which depend on page count, size and color). What a novel way to make a living!
☕ Yum, a $25 latte: You can now order delivery directly through the Starbucks app. Brace yourself for fees: A $1.99 delivery charge, a $2 small-order fee if you spend under $10, a 15% service charge and sometimes an extra $4.99 for wages. Oh, and don’t forget to tip!
🖊️ Ever write checks? Use a pen (4-pack for $10) with specially formulated ink that gets trapped in paper, helping to prevent criminal check washing and other document alteration.
We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.
A new credit card fee: Several credit card companies, including Citibank and Synchrony Bank, are charging a $1.99 monthly fee for paper statements. Printing and mailing costs financial institutions $600 million, so they want us to pay for it. Call your card company and ask them to email you the “Schumer box.” It’s an easy-to-read table of all their fees.
🖨️ Printer smarts: Turning off your printer can trigger maintenance tasks when you turn it back on, which sucks up expensive ink. Instead, let your printer go into energy-saving mode when it’s not in use.
Up to 15% tax refund
When you buy something while on vacation in Italy. By the way, this article says 22%, but that’s not quite right. Still, what a deal. I’d look for a designer handbag; they’re way cheaper there compared to stores here in the U.S. I always have Trevi saying goodbye to Rome.
Search smarts: Next time you’re eyeing a European something-or-other online, type “[price] euros to dollars” into your search engine of choice to get a quick conversion, like “55 euros to dollars.” The exchange rate updates in real time. Neat.
$1,000,000 prize
Through the Microsoft Rewards sweepstakes program. Use their products, like Bing, Edge (a sacrifice, I know) and Xbox Game Pass for points. You can earn up to 200 entries. Sign up here for five. Bing is like store-brand cereal; it barely does the job, and you never want it again.