My Business Processes Have Been a Hot Mess. Here’s How I Fixed Them
This is my business right now. The truth is if you looked under the hood since late summer last year, you’d find a hot mess...
Why?
After years of trying to make it work, I finally had to divorce my CRM.
Streamlined processes are critical for the smooth experience I strive to offer my clients. The tool wasn’t cutting it, and it was impossible to manage.
I’m fairly comfortable with technology but I regularly had to hire consultants to set up automations and workflows. If I tried to do it myself it would often break.
No bueno.
I had to take my own advice and stop using a tool I hated.
But finding one that met all my requirements, especially running a business in the EU (Bank transfers! VAT!) was not easy.
I went on a lot of ‘dates’ with software that just didn’t cut it.
(I wasn’t setting out to use a relationship/dating metaphor when writing this, but it’s apt, so here we are.)
Finally I met the one!
So intuitive! So EU business friendly! (assigning tax rates to clients - genius!) with amazing, easy-to-use features (In case your curious, I swapped the old CRM out for a combo of Moxie + Content Snare - both amazing).
I’m so grateful to my very understanding clients who during this messy process have gotten the kind of messages I HATE to send:
😬 ‘Oops try this link instead!’
🥴 ’Sorry, the VAT wasn’t included on that first recurring invoice!’
😣 ’Oh that should have been a Zoom link instead of Whereby, here it is!’
😧 ’Oh sorry, your appointment was booked in the old system, I’ll send you a manual meeting request’
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But this isn’t an ad for new tools.
I’ve also been frustrated with my taxes and accounting process. I spend what feels like a lot to have my bookkeeping done (200 EUR per month, plus several thousand a year for annual taxes) and I still have to do what feels like a lot of paperwork.
With the proliferation of new freelancing apps, I thought I should take a look, against the advice of my Steuerberater (I’m not a fool, I didn’t cut him loose!)
Thanks to all of you who responded to my cries for help. I’ve looked through a lot of your software suggestions.
It’s been a journey.
A client generously walked me through her LexOffice set-up.A friend and colleague told me about the great folks at Big Media e.V. ( they’re definitely going in the Germany business resource guide, stay tuned!)
This journey took me full circle to realize, for an online business like mine, my current set up is actually the best.
I’m reminded of what two of my very smart podcast guests on ‘The Germany Expat Business’ Show said about taxes in Germany.
Gretchen Nemechek: Sometimes the best thing to do is throw money at the problem.
Ranjith Venkatesh: Don’t do German accounting!
I’m happy to say I see light at the end of the tunnel and by the end of this month I will be fully transitioned to my new tech stack, with all workflows and processes complete! 😅