Why Automation is good for your small business

This week I chatted with the clever Kaysi from Double Shot Studio about all things small business automation.

Because as a newish small business owner with just over 5 years in business, the question of why automation is important for my business interested me on a personal level.

I only recently started embracing automation within my small business. Not only because I knew my hours were limited, but also because I understood that a consistent customer experience relies on the right processes and systems.

Kaysi and I got together to explore this topic of time, customer experience and everything that comes with it in great detail.

Let’s get into it…

Hey Kaysi, thanks for joining me on the virtual Customer Journey Couch. Let’s start with a brief intro so we can get to know both business and non-business Kaysi…

Hi, I’m Kaysi, a mum to two humans under two. That technically means I have two full-time jobs!

In my past life, I earned a living as a Production Coordinator in the mining industry backed by a Masters in Mining Engineering.

Coordinating huge teams has given me a unique approach that’s stayed with me and helped shape how I look at other people’s businesses within my offerings today.

SEO, tech systems and automation are the core services I offer in my business Double Shot Studio.

I genuinely love the analytics and data to ensure you get more eyes on your products or services. And, most importantly, finding ways for it to happen consistently even when you’ve stopped paying for ads

The complementary services such as Dubsado and ClickUp Setups (I’m a vetted ClickUp consultant) I support my clients with nowadays have evolved from real needs my SEO clients were having. They were faced with a real gap in the market for small to medium business to not only rank highly online but also turn to systemise all the traffic they were then getting as a result of great SEO.

And my holistic take on their small business helps them streamline the entire customer journey through automation.

Can you share with us how the small business automation offering of Double Shot Studio came about?

Working with corporate giants like BHP and Rio Tinto gave me all the foundations with systems, project management tools and streamlining teams I needed to run my own business.

I managed large teams, maximised their efficiency and implemented business automation.

I’ve always worked in a creative space on the side following my passion for websites and design. I started building on that interest in a more technical aspect with SEO and somehow ‘fell’ into my niche.

I obviously have a knack for all things data with a background in engineering. So the technical aspect of SEO really added to my skillset.

It wasn’t until I wanted to scale that I realised I had more clients than time.

When you start out it’s easy to keep taking on clients until your books are full. But very quickly you’re faced with an income ceiling and have no more room to grow because YOU have to do the work and wear all the hats.

Things started to shift for me when I finally used my core skills to reset my own business.

I really looked at how I ran it, streamlined the processes, added automations and took a MASSIVE chunk of non-money generating activities off my plate.

It’s impossible to scale without taking a closer look at your business and putting automations and priorities in place.

When is the right time to embrace business automation in a small business? Can you elaborate on the signs that you’re ready?

It’s usually when you’re feeling overwhelmed or stuck. You’re time-poor and are over researching solutions for hours on end with no clear direction of what your particular business needs. Your systems and tech is held together by a thread. And you need someone to show you the RIGHT systems.

Most of my clients come to me once they’re already established and are going through a similar dilemma as I experienced in the early days of Double Shot Studio. They left a 9 to 5 corporate job in search of freedom but they’ve ended up working 100 hours a week instead.

They’re ready to work less and earn more so they can capitalise on the hours they spend tied to their desk. For them, it’s all about raising their income potential in a clever way.

Ultimately, automation and systems will free up more time to work on your business and yourself.

When you are in a good place in your business you have the headspace to focus on the finer details of your customer journey. And that ultimately provides the VIP experience everyone expects these days.

Trusting automated systems to onboard your clients, run them through your services and off-board them with 60% less input from you is like having the weight of the world lifted from your shoulders.

It gives you a refreshed focus and a great opportunity to improve your financial position.

What are the top 5 things to get right in today’s digital business world?

1. Automate your emails. Start with a welcome sequence and go from there so that leads are ready to buy when you want them to.

2. Systemise your day to day tasks so you free up precious time and stop being the bottleneck in your business.

3. Record your processes. You will thank me down the track when you’re ready for your first hire.

4. Know your goals. Map out your financial, personal and business goals so your actions are aligned with all of them.

5. Get your SEO fundamentals right. You can’t rank well if you don’t have all the basics implemented on your website

Have you noticed any emerging automation or SEO trends of late that have had a real impact on your clients?

My VIP days have really taken off with many clients wanting a quick fix for their systems and processes in one day.

The term OBM (Online Business Manager) and what it means to have one is gaining traction with my Australian clients. Many of my US clients have been familiar with the concept that I deliver for a while. The US market has adopted this idea of business automation well and truly.

When it comes to SEO, businesses are finally starting to take a closer look at their Core Web Vitals and how the design of their website impacts the mobile user experience.

Now, let’s talk about myths that cloud your industry. Can you share some of the things you have to debunk constantly?

When it comes to business automation, people often think I’m talking about robots. All it comes down to is attention to detail and a fine skill to turn every touchpoint into a beautifully crafted experience. If done right your clients will never know they just received an automated email.

Another good one is that systems are only for big companies. I firmly believe that any business planning to scale needs clear and well-defined processes and systems to move forward. They are your blueprint of how you do business.

I can see the huge potential within the services you offer. do you have any success stories you can share?

My client Kristy from H&N Label saw an 800% traffic increase over 6 months with a lock-tight holistic SEO strategy. The secret to her success is knowing her market. And that meant we could nail her SEO. For Kristy it’s come down to a combination of an optimised website, the right ads and an SEO strategy that all align. We are now taking her business to the next level with automations because she has scaled so quickly.

I’ve also taken on an out-of-the-box client this year: An accountant who wanted to go completely digital during COVID-19. We took her entire team online and automated 70% of her business. She’s now had to employ two extra staff to keep up with the demand for her services.

It just shows that digital experiences and businesses are the way of the future.

How do you stay ahead of the game? Where do you find the latest and greatest in the world of business automation and SEO?

I put aside time to learn week after week so I stay ahead.

Here are some great resources to help you up your SEO game:
Search Engine Land
Search Engine Round Table
The Moz Blog

I also love listening to the Systems Saved Me Podcast and the Entrepreneurs on Fire Podcast.

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If automating your business and strategic SEO are on your radar for 2022 and beyond, then check out Kaysi and Double Shot Studio online:

Website, Instagram

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Keen to explore automation for your small business further?

Read Charlotte Isaac’s introduction to Dubsado right here: What is Dubsado?