Workflows Wait WHAT How to get a GRIP

Workflows… Wait… WHAT? How to get a GRIP on your practice!

Hey… I’m Alyssa Lang! I’m a bookkeeper + tax preparer turned Workflow Queen, a certified skydiver + I LOVE to nerd out over tech and systems. For the past five years, I’ve been running my bookkeeping and tax practice successfully through proper workflows and systems that have allowed me to work more efficiently and scale to new heights. I’m on a mission to help other bookkeepers and accountants to get organized, crush their goals and never miss a deadline through tech, automation and workflows.

And that’s what I’m here to cover today. . . 1 What workflows and systems are and why these as essential for your success 3 How to further organize your client work through proper processes 2 How to create better workflows and systems that’ll allow you to get more done in your bookkeeping practice 4 Bring you clarity on how to start working ON your practice, instead of IN it

Now, let’s chat workflows!

What is a workflow? Workflows are a process and a process is a series of steps that ultimately accomplish a specific task. What makes a workflow successful? It must be systematically organized and repeatable. Time saver Easy to outsource Less errors

Why are workflows important? They can allow for a much smoother workday and give your clients and your staff a very clear picture of what is expected of them. This includes a clear understanding of when things are due, how they should be delivered and each step to make it happen.

When there’s no system or workflow in place. . . We tend to just do what we THINK we’re supposed to do with no clear understanding of the end goal It can cost you money and your time You and staff could be spending hours a day waiting on what to do next More time is spent because you have no clear understanding or guidance and leaving you no extra time to network or gain new clients You’ll spend hours each week, just going by what you remember when instead of having it clearly defined and laid out If you were featured on Oprah TODAY, would your firm be able to keep up or would things fall apart & you’d lose control?

How can we take things we do and create a workflow out of it? Think about the steps you take to literally do ANYTHING in your practice! Begin to list out or even record yourself (via tools like Loom) already doing “the thing” and use it in the future for yourself + team I challenge you to try to extract at least one things out of your head about a process as often as you can

Examples of workflows Onboarding new clients Managing your monthly bookkeeping clients Performing Diagnostic Reviews Tax preparation Onboarding team members Sales pipeline process Paying invoices for clients Monthly check in calls

Understanding WHAT makes a workflow successful. . . Workflows can be traced back to Frederick Taylor and Henry Gantt, two men who were on a mission to improve their production through systematizing their work. Three main questions you should be asking yourself for all your workflow, they suggest, is: What needs to be completed? Who needs to complete it? How long should the workflow/task take to complete?

You should also. . . Start with the end goal in mind Set clear expectations and outcomes for each task Provide enough information as possible for each task Trash repeating tasks or unnecessary steps

Ask yourself these questions when laying out + optimizing your workflows: What needs to be completed? Who needs to complete it? How long should it take? What information is needed to complete each task? What are the expectations? What can I trash or automate to make it more efficient? I HIGHLY suggest using a Project Management system like Asana, Pixie, Click. Up, etc. to help you create these repeatable workflows.

Let’s give you a visual breakdown of this process. . .

Started with the end goal in mind Each step is listed clearly Details + to the point BUT we’re still missing some important details to execute or outsource this task

What needs to be completed? How long should it take? What are the expectations? Who needs to complete it? What information is needed to complete each task? What can I trash or automate to make it more efficient?

Breaking down workflows with details. . . 1 2 Allows you to have EVERYTHING listed that someone would need to easily pick up where you left off You won’t need to constantly remember where that link is or who’s supposed to do what 3 Reduces errors in the way you do the work + your team will appreciate you 4 Allows for completion of the task to be reduced or automated

I promise you. . . It takes some time and motivation to actually list out your processes but the more you do it, the more efficient you + your firm can become. Start small, record yourself doing the thing, leverage project management systems THEN add layers!

Any questions I can answer for you?