Why you should stop using so many business tools — The COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE effect

The average small business uses anything from 5–10 web apps to manage their core business activities.

Great! You’re digital! You’ve got many business apps you’re using for your business. This should naturally skyrocket your business productivity and efficiency right?

Here is my experience!

When I launched my web design business in 2011, I was over the moon. I couldn’t wait to onboard my first client and I was ready to take on my first client project. To prove how ready I was, I had written down and practised my business process over and over again, just to ensure it was super-seamless.

Here is what it looked like:

1. I would save all the customer’s details in a spreadsheet or any tool I can find so I can keep a database of my customers.
2. I would book an initial meeting with my client and save it in my calendar app — nothing fancy, my phone app was sufficient just then.
3. I would send an email to the client confirming the date and time of the event, and possibly send additional emails advising of the agenda plus reminders to ensure they haven’t forgotten about our meeting.
4. I would eventually have the meeting with the client (possibly run over if it is a good meeting), then send them an email with a summary of our next steps.
5. I would gladly use my invoicing tool to create an invoice and send to the customer so they are aware of the bill, how to pay, when to pay and everything regarding billing and settlement.
6. I would send them a reminder email or give them a phone call to make sure they’ve paid. These things happen, so my process was definitely smart enough to cater for these situations.
7. I would send regular emails to the client to give the progress updates. And if they ring up for updates, I will gladly send them an email with all the updates they are asking for.
8. I would put a reminder/prompt somewhere to make sure I remind the customer to make final payment (if only the deposit was paid), so I get paid in full.
9. I would send an email to the customer asking them to give me a review at the end of the project, just so that I can use the review/testimonial to attract other customers.

Guess what? There were more. And the more I thought about it, the more I wondered if I could cope with these many tasks. The reality is that there was more to do. From tasks to action, emails to send, deadlines to monitor, it was super-overwhelming to stay on top of it all, especially as my business then was a side-hustle I was running alongside a full-time job.

To keep up with all these business tasks, I had many apps handling different things. But what was the point of having so many business apps anyway?

I had a spreadsheet, an invoicing app, a mailing app, a calendar/appointment app, a tasks app, and I was already considering creating some online forms for some other stuff. I can’t even list how many emails I have to write up and send manually. Tough! With all these numerous tasks and responsibilities on my table, trying to juggle all these many apps only made it more time-consuming. I started to feel some burn-out especially when I tried juggling multiple customer projects at the same time.

All-In-One Business Solution

The problem of using too many tools is that you end up creating more work for yourself everywhere. Plus, you never have a full/complete picture of what is going on in your business as every detail is scattered across various documents, platforms and tools.

This is why all-in-one business solutions are becoming more and more popular for businesses.

An all-in-one business solution gives you a suite of business tools that work together harmoniously. We call this integration. These tools were created to work with each other to help you achieve a number of business activities without you even trying hard or needing to spend so much time using them.

For example, an all-in-one business solution like My Centre Office handles your customer lists, email campaigns, SMS campaigns, appointment booking, online forms, invoicing, customer projects, customer contracts, customer reviews and more. This means you don’t need to install or use 5-10 different tools to handle these key business activities. My Centre Office gives you all in a box!

Benefits of using an all-in-one business solution

1. You save time and money. No need paying for different tools. And if you’re using many free tools, it is just as bad. You may not realise you’re losing money, but the time you’re wasting is money too!
2. You free up your time by automating processes and workflows from first contact with a customer to the delivery of a service, and even after-sale. All those manual tasks and emails that take your time can be gone in a flash.
3. You standardize your process. Ever been in a situation where you forgot one step, or missed a task? An all-in-one business solution helps you standardise your activities so you do not miss anything.
4. You get clearer insights across your business. Using an all-in-one business solution helps you see a fuller picture of your activities, your customers, your business finances etc.
5. Your data is cleaner. Often underestimated, using an all-in-one business solution helps you avoid duplicate records. You would be able to avoid problems such as multiple customer details, sending duplicate or multiple emails to a single customer during a campaign etc.
6. Your customer gets a better experience. With an all-in-one business solution, you are much more likely to respond to customers quicker, deliver services better, and provide a more seamless experience for your customers. This leads to customer retention and loyalty.
7. Your team’s productivity and efficiency increases. Of course your team will find it easier to use an all-in-one solution, than hopping from one tool to the other to get simple tasks done. It means they can use their time better, towards the growth of your business.

With all the 7 benefits I have mentioned, you probably want to review the business apps/tools you’re currently using, to see if it is time to consider an all-in-one business solution — it may just be the right time for you to try one!

A business-solution we highly recommend for businesses that desire results

The HALO package is the FREEmium offered by My Centre Office to businesses & NGOs that need an all-in-one business tool to manage their operations with ease

Asides the benefits listed above, My Centre Office has a FREEmium version you can sign up to right away. It gives you a plethora of integrated business tools that help you capture customers, sell to them and retain them. This sits on a foundation of business automation, making business operations more convenient and more profitable for you at the same time.

Check out My Centre Office, and experience an all-in-one business solution. It may be the solution that changes how you do business.