The value of automation for small businesses
In today’s rapidly evolving digital world, small businesses are constantly trying to find ways to streamline processes and enhance productivity.
A report by McKinsey & Company found that 50% of work can be automated today; therefore, automation can be a game-changer when empowering small business owners to take control of their success, and maintain loyalty to the businesses that serve them.
In addition, the World Economic Forum: Future Readiness of SMEs Report published in 2022 identified that digital process innovation is a top digital transformation recommendation.
At BaseKit, we understand our partners’ challenges in serving small business customers. That’s why we’re excited to highlight the transformative power of automation through our integration with Zapier. It was a key feature in our 2023 Connect Vision – designed to mitigate the complexities and potential business failure for small businesses tirelessly managing many different apps, accounting packages and spreadsheets at once.
The integration allows customers to automate store and appointment transactions between BaseKit and over 5,000 other applications they could already be using to run their business. Let’s explore how automation can help small businesses and how BaseKit’s solutions empower partners to deliver these benefits to their customers.
1. Increased efficiency and productivity
Automation can increase productivity by 20-35%
Automation is essential for small businesses to achieve efficiency. Automating repetitive tasks such as data entry and invoicing allows small business owners to focus on more impactful activities that promote growth and innovation.
A study by McKinsey & Company also reveals that businesses that successfully implement automation and digitisation can experience a 20-35% increase in productivity.
BaseKit provides small businesses with an intuitive website builder and e-commerce platform to easily manage their online presence so entrepreneurs can focus on strategic decision-making and customer engagement.
By integrating with over 5,000 applications through Zapier, businesses can automate tasks such as order processing and customer data management, which not only saves time for more critical activities but also ensures a seamless workflow.
For example, an event like ‘receiving a new order’ can be sent to Zapier and connected to any application the small business may already be using to manage their business, that can accept the order content.
Our Customers application, released early in 2023, is a single place to view and export all customer and transactional data. With Zapier small businesses can seamlessly connect this data with other applications such as an email marketing platform to send a sales offer only to customers who have purchased a product in the past 12 months.
2. Cost savings and resource optimisation
Automation can save businesses up to 30% in costs
One advantage of automation is its potential for significant cost savings. Indeed McKinsey & Company say this can be up to 30% for businesses who implement it successfully.
By decreasing the requirement for manual labour in routine tasks, small businesses can optimise resources, allocate them more effectively, and minimise the risk of costly mistakes, providing financial security and confidence.
BaseKit’s solutions, such as its appointment software , streamline operations by automating appointment scheduling and payment processing. For example, when a new order is received, it can automatically be sent to other connected applications, which reduces manual data entry and potential errors. Another example is automating the creation and sending of invoices based on BaseKit transactions, which reduces the likelihood of billing errors or discrepancies.
3. Enhanced accuracy and consistency
68% of businesses have enhanced data accuracy with automation
Automation can significantly improve the accuracy and consistency of a small business’s operations, ensuring seamless and efficient processes that minimise the risk of errors and enhance customer satisfaction.
Research conducted by the Association for Information and Image Management (AIIM) revealed that 68% of businesses reported enhanced data accuracy after adopting automation. Automation streamlines operations and improves data quality, which is essential for making informed business decisions and providing better customer service.
BaseKit’s e-commerce platform ensures accurate inventory management and order processing for enhanced customer satisfaction. You can automate customer data from BaseKit to CRM systems or other databases to ensure customer information is always up-to-date and accurate across all platforms.
4. Improved customer experience
35% of SMBs say using automation delivers better customer service and support
Customer experience is crucial to business success. Adding automation can enhance the ability to deliver seamless, responsive service that meets today’s consumer’ expectations. According to Zapier, 35% of SMBs say using automation allows them to provide better customer service and support.
BaseKit’s solutions enable small businesses to offer 24/7 online booking, instant e-commerce transactions, and consistent branding across all digital touchpoints.
This level of automation improves customer satisfaction by providing convenience and consistency. For instance, you can automatically send follow-ups, notifications, or actions-based communication based on customer interactions, ensuring a consistent and personalised customer experience. This automation helps businesses build lasting customer relationships and enhance their brand reputation.
There’s a lot of evidence to prove that aAdopting automation offers significant benefits for small businesses. Increased efficiency, cost savings, improved accuracy, and being able to offer an enhanced customer experience are just some of the most impactful ways it can help businesses thrive.
At BaseKit our vision is to enable our partners to serve packages with more valuable and time efficient software, and a better online experience for their customers.
OurStore and Bookings products, together with the Customers application have a powerful means to bring simple, effective automation to our partners’ small business customers with Zapier. By automating operations they can free up time to focus on providing a better service, building lasting customer relationships and positioning themselves for sustainable growth in today’s competitive digital landscape.
We’re on a mission for tech democracy for small businesses.
If you’re an existing BaseKit partner and need further information about any features or products mentioned in this article or are interested in the Zapier integration, please contact your account manager.
Not already a partner? Get in touch to try out our software and discuss what a BaseKit partnership could look like for your company.