July 2024 - Main Article:

5 Annoying Tasks You Can Automate Right Now

 

Chances are, you're currently handling several tasks manually that you don't need to, such as sifting through a seemingly endless email inbox. According to Microsoft, employees spend nearly two hours daily on email—that's over eight hours a week spent in your inbox instead of on more creative or strategic projects.

However, many businesses and employees have discovered a solution to the relentless cycle of tasks: automation. By using software to manage repetitive tasks without human intervention, you can complete your to-do list faster, spending less time on menial tasks and more time on the projects you enjoy.

Task #1: Get Your Inbox to Zero (Without Wasting a Day of Your Life)

Email is essential to our work today, but managing an overflowing inbox is a never-ending job. Automation tools can quickly organize and prioritize emails, schedule responses, and even convert emails to actionable tasks. Here are a few ways to automate your email tasks:

  1. Automate Inbox Organization: In every mainstream email platform, you can create filters and rules. Start by setting up filters to automatically sort incoming emails based on criteria like sender, subject, or specific keywords. For instance, emails containing the word "invoice" can be directed straight to a designated folder.
  2. Use Labels and Categorization: Most email platforms have an automatic label feature that helps you categorize emails more dynamically than folders will allow. You can apply multiple labels to a single email, making it easier to retrieve emails that may fall into several categories.
  3. Schedule and Automate Email Responses: Delayed send or scheduling tools automatically send your emails at predetermined times, which can be particularly useful for reaching recipients in different time zones. Write now, send later.
  4. Automate Task Creation from Emails: Automation services can integrate your email with project management tools and automatically convert incoming emails into actionable tasks, so you never miss an important action item.
  5. Utilize AI and Advanced Automation: If you want to level up your email automation, some tools let you use AI to label new emails based on their content, streamlining how you prioritize and handle incoming messages.

Task #2: Hands-Off Appointment Scheduling

We're all busy people, but booking a meeting shouldn't require 10 back-and-forth emails. Calendar automation tools remove this annoying exchange by enabling people to book directly on your calendar and sending automatic event invitations and reminders. With calendar automation tools, you can:

  1. Allow Clients to Book Directly into Your Calendar: Customers or team members can view your available time slots and book directly.
  2. Sync Schedules Across Devices and Team Members: These tools can also sync with most email platforms, ensuring all team members are updated in real-time when a time or location changes.
  3. Send Automated Appointment Reminders: Calendar tools also support sending automated appointment reminders. These can be customized to go out before the appointment, reducing no-shows and making sure everyone is on time and prepared.

Task #3: Streamline Bookkeeping

Tracking finances manually is tedious and prone to human error. Here are three ways automation improves bookkeeping:

  1. Automatically Import and Categorize Transactions: Automation software can automatically pull in and categorize transactions from your bank accounts and credit cards, reducing the need for manual entry and helping maintain cleaner, more organized financial records.
  2. Generate Custom Financial Reports with One Click: Automated reporting tools have robust capabilities for generating detailed financial reports instantly. These platforms allow for real-time insights into financial performance, enabling leaders to make informed business decisions quickly.
  3. Integrate with Your Bank and Payment Processors: Some tools provide comprehensive integration with banking systems and payment processors, tracking cash-flow management and ensuring that all transactions are automatically recorded and reconciled in your accounting software.

Focus on the Work You Enjoy

Email, appointments, and bookkeeping are critical to running your work and business, but they don't need to be a time-consuming burden. Use simple automation tools to take manual tasks off your plate so you can focus on the creative and strategic parts of your business you enjoy most.

 

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