Why Admin is so Important
This week Nathan sat down with Greg Smith from ‘Admin’s The Answer’ to discuss this week’s topic regarding the importance of admin in your small business. Specifically, in relation to the trade industry, speaking from personal experience Greg informs us “how hard it is to run a tradies business by day and then try to do all the administration, project management, job and work flow handling, quoting and money management by night”. Admin plays an important role in the success of your business. This blog along with Nathan and Greg’s YouTube video highlights everything you need to know about the importance of admin in your business.
The importance of Admin
For many individuals who own their own small business, especially a tradesman like Greg, keeping on top of admin after a long day on the tools can be physically and mentally demanding.
In this week’s video Greg explains how as a tradie with his own business he never finished his day of work before 11:00pm. Once getting home after a hands-on day of work, many business owners then sit down at their computer and spend the rest of their evening responding to emails, drafting quotes, and calling clients.
As mentioned in our previous videos, small business owners take on more than one role within their business. Suddenly, they must become the CFO, Marketing manager, HR, bookkeeper, whilst also being the person doing the actual work.
When people choose to open a small business of their own, they often don’t consider how big a role admin plays in the successful running of their business. In some industries, without the upkeep of admin jobs, there is no physical work. If you are struggling to draft quotes, and/or call clients, the less work you will begin to receive.
What is Admin:
It’s important to acknowledge that admin is very different to bookkeepers and/or business coaches.
In broad general terms, a typical admin role within a small business, trade industry or not, consist of
- Answering incoming calls; taking messages and re-directing calls as required.
- Dealing with email enquiries.
- Diary management and arranging appointments with clients.
- Providing administration support to Sales Reps, Property Managers and Senior Management.
- Possibly maintaining the company social media accounts
Each of these roles one their own or as a hole seem quite simple. However, if these are task your completing after a full day’s worth of work, it quickly becomes impossible to keep on top off.
Seeking Help:
Its normal as a small business owner to sometimes feel like you are drowning in work. However, if this feeling of always being behind is a constant in your business life, then it may be time to outsource and seek help.
Specifically, a typical trade business only has a small window of the day to work for billable hours, so it’s important that this time is maximised on working on physical jobs and not being caught up in other areas of the business that are not billable.
It’s understandable, as a new business owner that you don’t have extensive knowledge about the time and energy that needs to be spent on admin work. That’s why it’s also ok to outsource and reach out to other services that can help you keep on top of your admin.
Business such as Greg’s ‘Admin’s The Answer’ is an example of outsourcing. His business helps, businesses, mainly tradies as he understands the pressures of running a small trade business with respect to everything that needs to get done.
His business helps with…
- Customer contact and communication: help contact clients, organise meetings, also keep you informed with customer and supplier information.
- Costing’s: Required daily return, conversion rate, average invoice value (is it positive and negative trend?), material percentage per invoice, labour percentage spend per invoice, percentage return on your job, what are your most profitable jobs, what are your least profitable jobs, average time to produce quotes after a visit.
- Quotes and invoicing: systems that can efficiently report information and therefore enable the creation of quotes and invoices.
- Chasing unanswered quotes and payments: will help collect unpaid invoices and assist in payment methods.
If your struggling keeping up with your business admin demands, don’t be afraid or embarrassed to seek help.
If Greg sounds like your guy, feel free to contact him.
Phone: 0412 831 401
Email: office@adminstheanswer.com.au
