... especially for your small business. We all want to see our businesses grow and thrive. Some even hope that future generations will someday take the helm. But, without careful planning all your dreams of success could come crashing down around you.

If you hope to sell more and continue to do so, you must be prepared to deal with that growth. Too often we market ourselves right out of business. How and why would I conceive such a harsh statement? Easy, each sale creates a new customer; this creates a demand on our time. When you are fulfilling that demand your time to create invoices and marketing is limited. This leaves a crack in your business. Gone unprotected, over time, this gap can widen in to a chasm.

To ensure that no customer or invoice slips through that crack an autoresponder is the perfect solution. No business can survive for long without one. You can automate the delivery of thank you notes, gift cards, a follow-up survey after the sales and even past due invoicing. You'd be surprised at how much your customer will appreciate these timely pieces. The best thing about the trusty autoresponder is that all of these mundane tasks are done for you; which leaves you free to do what you love, build and grow your business.

While you are considering your options in this electronic age a 'real' card in the snail mail has a significant advantage over the digital alternative. Therefore, sometimes you may want to send a 'real' note rather than an e-mail thank you. Yes, you should immediately follow up with an electronic version. But, there is now a system in place that allows you to set up a campaign, a specific card that can be programmed to send out to a single person or group on a specified date. Yes, a 'real' card. And what better way to follow up with your customer than a real thank you note in the mail? This system is the Send Out Cards^® system. No, I am not a rep, but I highly recommend it for all business owners. E-mail me and I'd be happy to point you in the right direction.

You also have to make sure you get paid. Invoices need to be created, revenue needs to be collected, and past due bills need to be followed up on. Therefore, another thing to consider while expanding your business' back office tasks is hiring a competent Virtual Assistant (VA).  VAs have specific talents and abilities, so be sure you hire one that fits your need. Some are best at pulling a team together, while others merely answer your phone and deliver your messages. Some prefer marketing type work, like uploading articles and sending out press releases. Be sure to ask them their area of expertise before you sign on the dotted line.

While some VAs are able to send out invoices, a professional bookkeeper may be a better idea. If you are not yet ready to take that step consider using a system like FreshBooks, Infusionsoft or VerticleResponce® to help you automate your timekeeping and invoicing needs. While FreshBooks focus is billing automation the two latter mentioned offer autoresponder tools as well as invoicing. So, identify your need first. Then you will know exactly what to look for when choosing the right tool for your business.

Having all your systems in place will free you up to deliver high-quality products and services, which in turn creates satisfied customers that buy more and refer your business to their friends.