[OBO DIGEST] Automate your way to a scalable business

Job augmentation, replacing repetitive work, and the role of AI in the work landscape at large

Online Business Owner • February 08, 2023

As a business owner, there’s no shortage of tasks that need to get done, and today we’re covering how you can free up your time and keep your focus on scaling.

And what better way to do that than by talking about automation?

There are tasks on your plate right now that you can eliminate from your daily routine without hiring a single extra employee—and as an online business owner, you have an advantage:

Everything you need to do this is within arm’s reach.

Today we’re revealing how to identify and automate repetitive tasks so you can scale your business with less time (and headaches) than ever before.

Let’s dive in… although before we do, don’t forget to share The Digest with your biz besties, clients, and friends so they too can be in the know about what’s happening in online business!

Enjoy,

The OnlineBusinessOwner.com Team

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Automate yourself away in 3 simple steps

When you’re focused on running your business, it’s difficult to see just how deep in you are… AND how many tasks you’re currently doing that can be done by technology.

This is even more true for online businesses as it is for physical ones, only YOUR tools exist in the cloud.

There’s no end to the repetitive tasks business owners deal with on a daily basis, but many are universal:

Organizing to-do lists... 

scheduling important events and setting reminders... 

simplifying productivity with apps like the Pomodoro timer... 

passive lead generation (you don’t have to manually add people to your email list)...

None of this is new, but it’s about how you use it.

Almost every tool imaginable can be networked with others using a set of triggers.

Zapier is the most famous example of this.

But there are plenty of others that perform similar functions...

Your productivity is only limited by your creativity.

What if you decided to dynamically tag each lead based on the traffic source they come from, track their lifetime value and the content they consume before buying, and automatically put it all in a report that arranges itself based on revenue generated?

That’s just one example that can save you hours of research and digging every couple of months… AND there are too many more to count.

Here’s how to save yourself from countless hours of wasted time in your business:

1. List everything you have to repeatedly do in your business — everything that comes to mind, especially mindless tasks.

2. Filter for the tasks that take up the most time with the least amount of creative and mental energy (things like data entry, organization & information)

3. Identify software / SaaS platforms that can do all (or at least part) of the busy work involved; even if they cost a bit in the short term, focus on how much time you’ll save that you can pour into growing your business.

You’ll likely find that many of your day-to-day tasks don’t need to involve you at all.

The more you can get done without human intervention, the faster you’re able to scale!

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Social Media News + Updates

📸 Instagram increases user control over what content is shown to them
👥 Meta partners with NBA and WNBA games as VR headset sales suffer
📺 YouTube tests location tagging in Shorts — could this mean a rise in location-based content on the platform?
🐦 Twitter’s staff now has less than 550 full-time engineers
🔗 LinkedIn removes the ‘Curious’ reaction option from posts

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News + Happenings

Microsoft invests billions in OpenAI

Procedural text and image generation have taken off recently, and it’s only a matter of time until their use becomes commonplace in nearly every field.

Microsoft is taking notice.

The tech giant has confirmed its “multiyear, multibillion-dollar investment” in OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT.

Their reason?

To get a leg up in their ongoing battle with Google.

The terms of this partnership allow Microsoft to advance its own AI systems and incorporate them into its products...

And in turn, supply energy to OpenAI’s power-hungry systems.

This partnership could significantly advance the already rapid growth of AI technology and open up brand-new possibilities for businesses and consumers alike.

It’s worth noting that Microsoft plans to lay off 10,000 employees.

Now, the two business decisions could be unrelated...

But it’s hard to ignore the business implications of cutting staff expenses to make room for investment in automation.

Why this matters for online business

If you currently have a small operation and constantly find yourself needing to learn new tech tools to keep things running, this is an important trend to watch.

We may not see the effects for months, even a year…

But as AI’s influence grows, it will become increasingly easier to automate more routine, manual tasks… Allowing you to focus on what matters the most!

Pretty soon, you may be able to do even more without a massive team.

To learn more about Microsoft’s massive investment, check out this article from NBC!

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Will automation augment human productivity... or replace it?

The threat of automation taking away jobs en masse has loomed for years, but the recent developments in this space have left many wondering if we’ve finally arrived at a critical point.

But while there will undoubtedly be examples of jobs disappearing (such as in factories, fast food, etc.), there’s another shift that’s already occurring:

Automation is accenting and transforming jobs.

In some cases, this means one employee can now do the work of many… While in others, workers have to work with robots or tech tools performing adjacent jobs.

The World Economic Forum says that one-third of all work tasks are already handled by machines. And that number may climb to 50% by 2025.

Part of this was brought on by the shifts during the pandemic, though it’s tied to a larger trend across the business world as a whole:

Robotic work is removing increasingly more routine and repetitive tasks from the workforce, and the work that stays will be highly skilled labor.

Why this matters for online business

Automation is only becoming more common.

Most people associate it with physical places of employment. But consider this...

How many tools do you already use to help run your business that used to require human help?

Roles from digital calendars to reminders, project management tools, and more directly automation-related tools like Zapier were once filled by assistants. 

(or overworked business owners!!)

By solidifying your relationship with automation now, you can augment the amount of work you’re able to get done on your own.

Use every tool at your disposal to maximize your own productivity first...

Then you’ll be in a much better position to hire for and scale your business.

You can dive deeper into the state of automation in the BBC’s great article here!

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In Other News

🤖 Miso Robotics’ Flippy 2 could be poised to replace $12 billion in fast food wages, with White Castle already planning to add 100 units to its kitchens across the US.
📺 Streaming service land wars halt as Netflix’s stock price gains improve the industry’s valuation as a whole.
☁️ Industrial automation software is moving off-premises and into the cloud, despite previous projections.

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YOUR WEEKLY KICK IN THE PANTS

@marieforleo

@morningroutines

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With that, another digest comes to a close. 

We hope you’ve found this edition both interesting and practically helpful.

If you follow the steps outlined above, you’ll undoubtedly find opportunities to automate much of the “boring” work you do every day, opening up more time for you to put into higher-leverage projects.

Best of all, it doesn’t cost much to automate compared to what it takes to delegate! 

So reach for tech solutions first, and you’ll have more resources to focus on the key hires you need to grow your business!

Until next time ❤️

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