Welcome to the first lesson of Go Beyond Busy – The Course! This introductory session establishes the foundation for your automation journey by helping you identify time-consuming tasks in your business and understand the difference between digital and practical automation strategies. By the end of this lesson, you’ll have a clear understanding of automation opportunities in your business and will have set meaningful goals for your automation journey.
Business automation isn’t just about implementing fancy technology—it’s about creating systems that allow your business to operate more efficiently, consistently, and with less direct involvement from you.
Whether you’re completely new to automation or have already implemented some basic systems, this lesson will help you develop a strategic approach to identifying and prioritising automation opportunities.
Today, we’ll focus on conducting a thorough audit of your current business processes, distinguishing between tasks that are ripe for automation and those that require human touch, and setting clear goals for what you want to achieve through automation. This groundwork is essential for ensuring that your automation efforts deliver meaningful results for your business.
Your assignment for this week is to complete your business process audit using the worksheet provided. Specifically:
1. List at least 20 regular tasks or processes in your business
2. Rate each one according to the criteria in the worksheet
3. Identify your top 5 automation opportunities based on the results
4. For each of these top 5, write a SMART goal for what you want to achieve through automation
This audit will be invaluable as we progress through the course, giving you clarity on where to focus your efforts for maximum impact.
The Business Process Audit Worksheet is a comprehensive Excel spreadsheet designed to help business owners systematically identify and evaluate automation opportunities.
The worksheet includes the following components:
· Task Inventory: A structured table for listing all regular business tasks and processes
· Evaluation Criteria: Rating scales for frequency, time consumption, complexity, and automation potential
· Automation Type Assessment: Guidance on determining whether digital automation, practical automation, or both would be appropriate
· Prioritisation Matrix: A framework for identifying which processes to automate first
· Goal Setting Section: Space to create SMART automation goals for top priorities
· Examples: Sample entries to help users understand how to complete the worksheet effectively
The worksheet will be professionally designed with clear instructions, helpful tooltips, and a user-friendly layout suitable for business owners of all technical abilities.