I kind of have a feeling that despite an enormous amount of tools today for practically anything, companies are still run on spreadsheets and emails. Not sure what to think about it. #smallbusiness #smbtechnology #automation #backoffice

If you feel overwhelmed with all the news about AI and stuff, just chill. You are not missing out and you won't go out of business immediately. Stuff is still getting done with Excel and Emails. Do your work and follow up.

Every automation I built up until today (more than 2000 already 😱) always starts with a simple question - How does information get into your company/unit? You'd be surprised how many options are there in the wild. The first step - unite the input in a single location.

How do you start automating any process? Essentially, any process has 3 steps - the input (how data/request arrives), "stuff-in-between"/processing, and the output (report/table row). So start by fixing the input - there should be one way information gets into your company.

Okay, so you've created a mailbox, and all data goes there - what's next? Now, figure out what is at the end of this process. What do you need to produce? A row in a table? A report? Generate a PO? Once you define the output, you'll be able to connect it with the input.

One of the best automations you can set up for your company is understandable file storage. Whatever innovations will happen next, they will all need data. And if your data is perfectly organized even as files, this will give you an edge.

I've been asked numerous times for advice about tools. I always advise to start with a spreadsheet - Excel or Google Sheet (if there is a choice required) You can do powerful things in it and we are using only 5% of it. The spreadsheet got a bad vibe for the wrong reasons.

Okay, there are two types of tools for project management out there: Lego-type tools or "my way or highway" tools. As a user, I always prefer Lego-type tools for operations and "my way or highway" tools for compliance stuff (accounting, cybersec, etc.).

In the SMB world, each employee is essential - as an owner you need to optimize the efficiency to 110%. If someone becomes unavailable, it can dramatically impact the business. Surprisingly, this is where automation and SOPs can help at least, at the front and back office.

If you are a small business and have the capacity to add a new tool, always start with workflow automation tools like @zapier or make .com. Or Power Automate for office 365 users. The cost/benefit ROI is just outrageous if you add an emotional factor.

I am fascinated with the concept of dark data. Why users are NOT choosing you? Why you were NOT shortlisted? Sometimes you are just unlucky, but sometimes they can reveal a path to a serious competitive advantage. It seems like everyone is optimizing only for what they see.

Why it is so difficult to introduce automation to your process? So many tools, and so many ways to do that, and yet, we still do things manually. The issue is that in our heads we see one step, but for machines - there are 20 steps involved.

Well, it seems like #chatgpt prompting is now a new programming language. There are courses, experts, pieces of training, and even certifications! I guess even corporations now have a prompting L&D KPI.

If you have lots of counterparties in your business (like vendors, etc.), and they need you more than you need them, then go ahead and create that form to submit stuff to you. In the opposite case, park that form idea. All vendors will send you emails, no matter what you do.

I think email notifications are like an API for non-techies. Tech people love APIs as you can easily integrate stuff. Email notifications were invented for humans to integrate into processes. It is a standard protocol that everyone knows and accepts. Don't fight it -embrace it!

When we design a new process, I like using the message bus principle. In computers, it is what handles passing bits between components like between a video card and a port where the monitor is attached. It is always synchronous and first-in-first-out. Brilliant principle!

Some tools bend your process to their rules, and other tools allow you to bend them for your process. That's the biggest difference between Asana and monday .com, for example. I don't know about you, but I cannot accept software bending me to its will.

SOPs powered by automation are awesome for onboarding. For instance, you hire a BDR, he goes to events and needs to submit a business card photo via your form, and AI automation can decide about the lead, categorize it, and send back to the BDRs all required materials.

I do think that 90% of the business world is run on email + attachments. That $30Bn of Slack is 5% of the 10% that's left. Think of it from your POV - it is so much easier to write a good email and attach a file. Think about it really hard when you design the next input form.

I've recently read a great article about why early-stage companies should avoid enterprise customers (unless that's your strategy day 1). It is actually quite simple: enterprises have an abundance of time. This is precisely what startups do not have.