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If you’re anything like me, juggling a million things at once, trying to stay on top of every task while your brain goes in a thousand directions – then welcome! We’re going to make life easier today.
Owning a business is tough. Throw ADHD into the loop and it’s both a superpower and a hindrance! It’s so common for ADHD business owners to feel completely overwhelmed when it comes to manually managing the day-to-day operations of their business. But we’re here to help you stop feeling like you’re drowning and to take your time back!
Enter: automation tools. This technology can help any entrepreneur, but it’s been a game-changer for me and my business (ADHD and all). So grab your favorite snack and let’s get started, shall we?
Asana – Your Ultimate Task Manager
Asana was one of the first pieces of technology that I put into place in my business. Almost immediately, I went from about a million sticky notes on my desk and notes all in my planner to a clean desk, all my tasks out of my head and into Asana. Talk about a lifesaver! It helps you to structure your tasks into manageable to-dos, all in a fun and easy-to-use platform. When your brain feels scattered, Asana helps keep things in line and reminds you when they’re due. As long as you have due dates on everything, you can have 10 different projects or client work going and still be able to stay on top of everything without panicking.
Asana has greatly simplified my work life and honestly, I’ll probably end up using it for my personal life at some point! You’re able to break down your task management, set up recurring tasks and view your work in a way that works best for your ADHD brain. In the free version (which is what I use), you can choose from List view, Board view or Calendar view for each project you have set up. Think of it as the brain dump you desperately need – organized, easy to follow and no sticky notes required!
Pro Tip: To use the free version, set up templated projects and duplicate those any time you need to use the same information in a project. (Think content creation or client projects that use the same tasks each time.)
Google Workspace – One Hub for Everything
Everything in one place? Yes, please! No more opening a dozen tabs to find what you need. This is a must-have for ADHD entrepreneurs. Gmail, Drive and Calendar all work in harmony to streamline your business operations. Talk about keeping your sanity!
Whether you have a team or share a lot of documents with your clients, you can use shared folders, calendars and real-time collaboration for easy access and control. Take the time to organize your Drive and set up folders for your business and projects and you’ll never have to ask, “Where did I save that again?” again.
Pro Tip: Set up Gmail labels and filters to save you tons of time and clean up that chaotic inbox. I've created a free step-by-step guide to walk you through setting those up that includes helpful tips. You'll go from a heavy mental load to inbox zero in no time!
Content Snare – Automate Client Information Collection
Next up on the list is Content Snare, your client content and information collection hero. If you work with clients, then at some point you’ll end up needing some piece of information or content from them. Content Snare makes getting information from your clients easier and more efficient. No more chasing clients for information – just set it up and let Content Snare do the nagging for you!
Content Snare is one of my favorite automation tools because it has drastically reduced the amount of back-and-forth emails I have with my clients (which is frustrating for both parties!). You can set up templates for your most commonly requested types of information or content and send them off in a matter of minutes when they’re needed. It’s like having a virtual clipboard that clients can’t misplace.
Pro Tip: Start off by choosing one of Content Snare’s many templates they have to offer, then customize it to what’s most applicable to your business.
Zapier – The Automation Magic Wand
Zapier (said like happier) is an amazing piece of technology! It integrates all your automation tools together, so no task gets stuck because you’re having to do it manually. Zapier is like the assistant you didn’t know you could afford – handling the small things behind the scenes. It has allowed me to run my business efficiently without needing to hire anybody extra to help.
Let me give you an example of how I’ve set up Zaps in my business to get your wheels turning… When a lead fills out my Google form to request a discovery call, Zapier creates a client within Content Snare, creates a template for that client’s Content Snare Discovery Call Questionnaire and creates a task for me within Asana to make any edits in Content Snare and send the request. Allowing automations to do the work for me has really freed up the brain space and makes it less stressful and time-consuming to do the small, yet important, tasks. Imagine not having to manually enter client details into three different platforms… sounds dreamy, right? Zapier makes that a possibility!
Pro Tip: Set up Zaps for repetitive tasks like invoicing, onboarding and auto-sending emails.
Anchor – The Ultimate Proposal, Engagement & Invoicing Platform
Before Anchor, I was spending a TON of time typing up proposals, emailing them, receiving them back from the client, sending them an engagement letter to sign, receiving it back from the client, and setting up billing and invoicing for the client. Whew, I’m overwhelmed just typing that! Then I found Anchor. You send the proposal, then Anchor auto-invoices, auto-charges and auto-syncs with your accounting software. It has saved me at least an hour, if not two, with each new client I’ve signed. Plus, I don’t have to collect their payment method or think about monthly billing. It’s a win-win for sure!
Once you add all your services to the platform, it’s very simple to add them to a proposal when you need to. You can also give multiple options if you have different packages or payment plans that you like to offer to your clients. It’s seriously such a time-saver! It also connects with Zapier, which saves you even more time. If you’re interested in signing up for Anchor, you can check them out here! Use my link to sign up and you’ll receive a $50 Anchor credit as a welcome gift. That’s your first 10 invoices, free!
Pro Tip: Add any edits you need to make to your services at the time of proposal in with brackets around them so they easily stand out as what you need to quickly update before sending the proposal. Example: [20] blog posts per month – just update the number to what you’ve offered to your client and the rest is good to go.
Putting It All Together – Automation Tools for ADHD Entrepreneurs
Alright, now you’re officially an automation tool guru! There are so many more tools out there, these are just the top 5 that I implemented to kick-start my journey to streamlining my processes and systems. They’ve greatly reduced the overwhelm of my day-to-day tasks and I know they’ll do the same for you as well!
My biggest tip for you, though: pick ONE to start off with. Choose just one tool to get started. Make a plan, do your best and follow that tool through until you have it as done as it needs to be right now. Perfection is the enemy of ADHD, so don’t let that consume all of your time and energy! Done is better than perfect and you can tweak it and continue working on it as you go.
Remember, my little ADHD business owner, you don’t have to do it all yourself! Automate what you can in your business, simplify your workload and free up that brilliant ADHD brain for the things you love.
Want more ADHD-friendly business tips? Grab my free guide on How I Saved 5 Hours a Week with Gmail Labels & Filters or follow me on Instagram for more ways to streamline and simplify your entrepreneurial journey!
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