We’re living in an incredible time.
Automation and AI can work wonders to make your business more efficient, save you time, and even cut costs.
Sounds amazing, right?
But here’s the hard truth: you can’t expect AI to run everything. And you definitely can’t expect to dive into automation without first rolling up your sleeves and mastering your workflows.
Automation is here to support you—not replace you.
Skipping the hands-on work and trying to automate too soon? That’s a fast track to frustration, wasted money, and a mess of processes you’ll just have to untangle later.
In this week’s episode of Automate Your Agency, Alane Boyd and Micah Johnson get real about the right way to approach automation. Tune in as they cover:
🔹 The pitfalls of automating without preparation
🔹 Why manual workflows lay the foundation for AI success
🔹 How to let automation enhance your business instead of running it into the ground
🔹 And practical steps to help you get started without the headaches
Listen, we all want to make our businesses run like a dream, and automation can help. But only when it’s done right. This episode will help you avoid rookie mistakes and build systems that actually work.
What did you think of this episode? Drop us a 5-star review to let us know—it helps us reach more listeners who need this advice! And don’t forget to subscribe for fresh, no-fluff strategies to grow and scale your business every week.
As businesses seek innovative ways to enhance efficiency and growth, the integration of automation and AI has become pivotal. However, there’s a burgeoning misconception that automation and AI can immediately replace entire business operations. In the recent podcast episode of "Automate Your Agency," hosts Alane and Micah unravel the complexities of automating business processes, emphasizing the need for strategic implementation and understanding of the underlying operations. This article reflects on the key insights from their insightful dialogue, asserting that, while automation holds immense potential, businesses must first establish clear processes.
Identifying and establishing your foundational processes is crucial before embarking on the journey of automation. As Micah points out, “Once you identify what that process is, once you try to do it, it becomes very apparent that you can't automate the entire thing.” This statement underscores the necessity of grasping and refining manual processes prior to automating them.
Alane further elaborates on this concept by emphasizing the importance of having "a tech stack," explaining that you need the right software in place to automate effectively. The understanding here is automation works best when you have a structured process that can be replicated through technology. Such groundwork not only reduces the room for errors but also provides a framework that can be enhanced by automation and AI.
The transitional phase from manual to automated processes should be driven by strategic implementation rather than a desire to replace. This theme resonates when Alane articulates, "Instead of solving future problems with automation and AI, why don't we start with the current ones that you're having?" This approach advocates for resolving existing inefficiencies before using automation to scale or expand operations.
Micah provides a narrative that echoes this sentiment: "The process needs to at least achieve some of the desired outcomes that it set out to achieve before you automate." The essence of this statement lies in recognizing that automation or AI won't solve undefined problems. Instead, businesses should view automation as a tool to refine existing operations, making them faster and more reliable, rather than a blanket solution to undefined issues.
Both hosts introduce an innovative perspective on how automated processes should be viewed within a business context, likening them to mini SaaS products. Alane explains, “I'm starting to think of them as little mini SaaS products,” illustrating the meticulous planning and ongoing management these processes demand.
Furthermore, Micah's remarks reinforce this notion, as he highlights the importance of knowing exactly what you want each automated process to accomplish. By treating automated processes as distinct products, businesses are encouraged to adhere to a scalable and flexible approach. This mindset not only aids in more effective management but also ensures that these processes continue to align with business goals as they evolve.
Automation processes should indeed be tailored to fit within the business's overarching objectives, akin to a well-integrated SaaS product that meets specific needs.
The conversation between Alane and Micah sheds light on the broader implications of integrating automation and AI. It is not merely about installing technologies and eliminating manpower; it’s about re-evaluating and improving business strategies through a tech-savvy perspective. Businesses that foresee the need for agility, quick adaptation, and precise operations must recognize that automation serves best when it complements well-understood and established processes.
Alane posits a compelling question for entrepreneurs: Is every client onboarded consistently? In addressing such areas, businesses can uncover opportunities for automation that directly tackle existing inefficiencies, rather than speculating on theoretical scenarios. These realizations pave the way for cultivating environments where manual and digital processes coalesce seamlessly, driving sustained growth.
In understanding these deeper insights, it's clear that the real value of automation and AI lies not in their novelty but in their ability to enrich and streamline proven operations. By focusing on refining the manual processes.
Alane Boyd is a serial entrepreneur, passionate leader and a high growth founder (2x SaaS Exit and published author 3x). She is an Enneagram 3 with a Driver leadership style. She a visionary that believes in impact-driven, result-oriented leadership. Her skillsets focus on operations, sales, marketing, and technical skills. Alane has been featured and spoken at major events, including SXSW, Entrepreneur, Huffpost, and Goldman Sachs.
Micah Johnson is a serial entrepreneur, advisor, and support-driven leader (3x successful exits). He has successfully scaled businesses (and failed a couple of others along the way, for good measure). Micah is skilled at translating business requirements into requirements a technical team will understand while being able to provide clarity on design and the user experience. He is a visionary who can identify gaps in systems and markets and an implementor who can build and execute a plan to fill those gaps. His skills include operations, systems, automation, design, software development, and UI/UX design. Micah has worked with large billion-dollar brands and manufacturers, and has been featured in newspapers, business journals, and trade publications throughout the US.
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