How to Create a Workflow for your Bookkeeping Practice (also, What IS a Workflow?!)
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When I started my bookkeeping practice, I had no idea how to create a workflow. In fact, it took me reaching my breaking point to do my research and discover that workflows would be the answer to my problems AND lead me to so much more.
In this blog I’m going to be covering:
What is a workflow?
Creating a workflow
Optimizing a workflow
If you’ve been around my blog, or really any of my content, you know that workflows are my JAM. I had a thriving, six-figure bookkeeping practice before I started Workflow Queen, and at one point...I ran both at the same time!
Let me tell you right now, that NEVER would have been possible without creating workflows in my practice.
Have you ever looked at other successful practice owners and wondered how they can scale, engage on social media, cook dinner every night AND go on vacation during tax season? Their secret, and mine, is (say it with me) WORKFLOWS! Yes. They have effective workflows in place so that they don’t have to work inside their practice 24/7.
After reading this post, you should be able to walk away with a clear understanding of what a successful workflow setup should look like and clarity around what tasks should be done by you or delegated to someone else (either now or in the future).
What is a Workflow?
A workflow is a system that consists of tasks put together to achieve a specific outcome. They help you quickly and easily execute repetitive tasks without forgetting any steps along the way.
I can’t tell you how many hundreds of hours I’ve saved over the years because of my workflows.
There is a lot of misconception about what is considered a workflow, as many people think it has to be a complex process that takes forever to create. Sure, some workflows might be that way, but in reality, they only need to be as complex as the outcome requires.
The reason workflows are so important, is that while they may save YOU time while completing tasks throughout your work day, they also give you the opportunity to OUTSOURCE. Outsourcing your workflows to someone else gives you the freedom to do other activities that actually grow your practice. This means you can stop drowning in client work and update your website, engage with potential clients on social media, or even start a whole new company (like I did!).
Creating Workflows
Let’s use making a cup of coffee as a sample workflow…
The first step in creating a workflow, is to analyze the outcome you desire. So, for this example, my desired outcome is a perfectly brewed cup of hot coffee
The second step in creating a workflow is to brain dump the steps you would take to achieve the desired outcome:
Put a scoop of coffee in the coffee maker
Add water to the reservoir
Push the start button
The final step is to review your brain dump and add any information you would need to know before you could successfully execute the tasks. I do this by asking myself six questions every time I create a workflow.
Essential Questions
There are six essential questions that I ALWAYS ask myself when I create a workflow. In this blog, I’m going to focus on the first three:
What needs to be completed?
Who needs to complete it?
How long should it take to complete?
Wanna know the other three questions I ALWAYS ask myself of any workflow I create? Join me in my mini course Workflows in a Weekend!
Question 1: What needs to be completed?
Sometimes, the answer to this question seems obvious. The title of your workflow could in fact describe the outcome you expect. But when you answer this question, try to be as descriptive as possible so that the person executing the work knows EXACTLY what’s expected of them.
Question 2: Who needs to complete it?
If you are a solopreneur, of course the answer will always be you at first. But perhaps you could get into the habit of segmenting out your workflows into departments in order to be even more prepared if you were to hire a team.
If you already have a team, this is where you would identify who takes ownership of completing this task. Make sure you take the time to give this person ALL of the information they will need upfront before passing off a task or workflow.
Think back to a company you’ve worked for that lacked structure and systems. You were given a task, and because the workflow wasn’t detailed enough, you had to stop the work and wait for answers to your questions. It’s frustrating for you, your boss, and anyone else on the team.
Question 3: How long should it take to complete?
When you build out a workflow, there are no hard and fast time restraints. There should be, however, an ideal amount of time that it would take to execute the work. Keep in mind that when you first outsource a workflow, there should be a grace period while your team member learns the ropes. Ultimately, the answer to this question is a guideline of how long the workflow would take to complete in an ideal situation.
Wanna know the other three questions I ALWAYS ask myself of any workflow I create? Join me in my mini course Workflows in a Weekend!
Let’s look at the coffee example again…
What needs to be completed? A perfectly brewed cup of coffee.
Who needs to complete it? Operations: Alyssa
How long should it take to complete? 5 minutes
Optimizing Workflows
This is the fun part! Creating a workflow has stages, and once you have your brain dump, you can really dive into the nitty gritty details!
Make sure you provide clear instructions on how to successfully complete the workflow, and everyone will save valuable time in the long run! If you set clear expectations, it is SO much easier for them to be met.
Think about this... you can’t get mad at your team for doing something wrong if you don’t provide them with clear expectations first.
If we look at our brain dump from the coffee example, the expectations are very unclear. Imagine you were to hire someone today and pass off this workflow, do you think they would be able to complete it without asking you ANY questions? My guess is, they have a LOT of questions!
These are the habits to build when you are creating a workflow. Going through the six essential questions are crucial to creating an effective workflow. Details are your friend, and they will make everything so much easier for you and your team.
Some things to think about after optimizing your workflows:
Do you notice any trends?
Are there any tasks that you don’t like to do?
Do you have clarity around where you are truly spending your time?
Can you make them more efficient?
Storing Workflows
The next level of using workflows to their maximum potential is utilizing a project management system. If you are familiar with my content at all, you know that I LOVE Asana and I’ve helped hundreds of bookkeepers and accountants learn to thrive with it too. Bringing your workflows into Asana means that you will have a literal checklist containing every task in your workflow so you can eliminate errors and streamline your processes. No more missing steps. No more forgetting the how, the what, or the where.
So, in this blog we’ve answered the question, “What is a workflow?”, learned how to create a workflow, and explored what it means to optimize your workflows. Bonus points if you bring your workflows into a project management system like Asana!
If you want to learn more about my proven method for developing workflows from scratch, check out my course Workflows in a Weekend!
Do you have workflows in place? Have you tried using a project management system?
Pop into my free Facebook group and let me know!!!
