Finding the Perfect Timing: When to Implement New Software in Your Service-Based Business

As business owners we find ourselves overwhelmed and very busy on a daily basis. We are wearing many hats, and it's hard to find the time to slow down and be able to focus on implementing processes and software to make our business scale faster.

It takes a lot of work to evaluate things and keep the business thriving while you are trying to find new clients and signing new deals.

• How do you determine when it's the time to start implementing processes and software?

• How do you know you are at a point in which this will help you speed things up?

• Why would you invest your time and money into this?

Several factors should be considered before implementing processes and software into your business.

Identify the Problem You Are Trying To Solve

You may need to catch up on repeatable tasks that could be automated, or you may be experiencing a high number of errors in your current processes. If you need to remember which steps you need to take every time you have a new client ready to onboard, you might need to look into processes and software that can help you streamline repeatable activities and tasks.

Repeatable activities and tasks need to be written down because when they are written down, they don't take up a mental load. After you unload, you can start training your team to take on more tasks that are ready for delegation. The team will be able to adjust to the new task faster and will have a written procedure that will help them repeat the steps until they learn the process and make it a part of their routine.

Choose the Time When Your Business Is Slower

Each business has specific times when the amount of work is slower. This enables you to plan and prepare to slow down the client work to speed up the operations and ensure the whole team is ready and onboarded on a new system.

Implementing new software or processes during this time can minimize disruptions to your operations and reduce the likelihood of overwhelming your team.

Have a Budget In Mind

Having a budget in mind is crucial. Whether you choose a do-it-yourself approach or hire a consulting agency, understanding the value new software and written-down procedures will bring you and the expenses you can afford is critical.

Some expenses are licensing, implementation, training, and consulting fees. You should also ensure that the desired software is compatible with your current software.

Prepare for Hiccups and Interruptions

This will happen in the testing phase. This phase is critical in the implementation process. Nothing goes smoothly, and backing up data is essential in case anything goes wrong. You should also be ready to train your team, as additional time will need to go into training and adjusting to the new software.

Ask for Help

In conclusion, the best time to implement new software in your business is after carefully considering the above-mentioned steps. Implementing new software and processes will improve efficiency and help scale your business, but many steps will need to happen before you get the results you are looking for.

After considering all the previous factors, and when you decide on whether to take a do-it-yourself approach or hire a consulting agency, you will see which challenges the processes bring. If you choose a do-it-yourself approach, we recommend hiring a consultant, even on an hourly basis, for occasional guidance to help you smoothly run the process on your own.