Humans Aren’t Robots and Small Biz Owners Face Real Risks

Starting a business can consume most of our waking time. Days and weekends are filled with working in the business. The problem is that we aren't designed to run 24/7. People just don't take enough time for themselves to recharge their batteries. This is particularly evident in startups and sole proprietorships.

Healthcare is a big issue. Many small business owners simply don’t make time to fit in regular checkups when they feel there is too much work to do (not a great idea).

After watching many colleagues struggle with their work-life balance, Patrick Clements, CEO of SherpaDesk.com, developed a personal mantra that has contributed a great deal towards his own and his business’s health: “Small business owners always need to work ON the business, but not always IN the business.”

PSA: Automate Early and Often

What are the benefits of deploying a Professional Services Automation Solution for my small business?

When you use a PSA Solution like the one offered by SherpaDesk you finally gain control over most aspects of your business that were previously causing you headaches. In other words, automation brings order to chaos.

So What Are Some Of The Immediate Benefits?

1. Get Paid When You’re Trying to Get Paid – New entrepreneurs often dread invoicing clients because accounts receivables often fill them with dread. After all, you already spent a lot of time providing the service. Why do you have to invest more time just to get the money you've earned? You need to be able to invoice as the work is being done, not try to tally up all of the billable hours at the end of the month.

Invoicing can become more difficult with a distributed workforce. How do you keep track of everyone’s hours when they can span six time zones? Not only are you reviewing and trying to calculate individual tech workloads, but you’re also looking at a time crunch that inevitably leads to dread. A well-implemented PSA system helps make that dread disappear by becoming the hub that keeps track of all your invoicing, IT ticketing, and time tracking.

2. Automate Your Customer Service – Your MSP business solves numerous problems. However, some of your customers may start having similar issues, whether it’s a bug or a tool they're still learning to use. Instead of trying to respond to every concern with a personalized response, you need to be able to find a way to automate it. Here’s where a good PSA comes to the rescue. Without it, you’re wasting valuable time. A PSA solution can go a long way in helping you onboard new staff by keeping all the Faqs and other Q & As in one centralized knowledgebase, ready to serve your customers in real-time.

3. Keep Track of Inventory and Orders – Asset tracking and inventory management are critical. With a PSA solution with a solid asset management tool, you’ll be able to keep track of all of your assets and assign hardware in just a couple of clicks, saving you a ton of time and money, not to mention the advantage of knowing the correct value of your inventory at all time.

4. Data Reporting To Keep Burn At Bay - The problem with calculating true burn is that there are many costs spread across different elements of your business that often include factors you may not have even considered. Being able to access a 30,000-foot view of these expenses via accurate data reporting is the best way to avoid surprises at the end of the quarter. Most small businesses go under because of inaccurate forecasting. 

So What Kind of Benefits Will PSA Have on My Health and on My MSP Business?

1. Prevent reduced productivity from burnout or becoming sick due to stress.

2. Better work-life balance helps maintain bonds with friends and loved ones who can act as a support network.

3. Increased focus and time to make important financial and business decisions like pursuing funding opportunities.

4. If you’re a big-picture idea person, then the opportunity to make something even bigger is why you decided to become an entrepreneur in the first place.