If you’re reading this, you’re probably in the thick of running your own business, balancing creativity with countless admin tasks, and wondering how to free up more time to focus on growth. If that sounds familiar, then this post is for you.
As female entrepreneurs, we often have so much on our plates—building our businesses, raising our families, and finding time for ourselves in between. We started our companies to break free from the 9-5 grind, to create financial freedom, and to live lives on our own terms. But the reality is, without the right systems in place, entrepreneurship can sometimes feel like more work than we imagined.
I’m Cassi Hentzel, a project manager and strategic business coach passionate about helping female entrepreneurs like you reclaim your time and refocus on what really matters. Today, we’re diving into the world of task automation with project management tools—an absolute game changer when it comes to freeing up your time so you can do more of what you love and less of what you don’t.
By the end of this post, you’ll understand how automation within project management (PM) tools can help you reduce manual, repetitive tasks, streamline your workflows, and give you more time to focus on the big-picture goals of your business. Let’s get into it!
Why Automation is Essential for Female Entrepreneurs
When I talk to female entrepreneurs, one of the most common struggles I hear is, “I just don’t have enough time.” And it’s true—time is one of our most precious resources. Yet, so much of that time is spent on tasks that could easily be automated: scheduling, follow-ups, task assignment, and even some parts of client communication.
As women, we often carry the mental load of not just our businesses but our families, households, and personal lives too. And while we’re phenomenal at multitasking, it’s not a sustainable strategy for scaling a business. The more your business grows, the more you need efficient systems to manage it all. That’s where automation comes in.
Why You Need to Automate Tasks:
- Prevent burnout: By reducing the number of manual, repetitive tasks, you can focus on higher-level business activities that actually bring you joy.
- Work smarter, not harder: Automation allows you to optimize your workflows, giving you more time for growth-oriented tasks like strategy, creativity, and innovation.
- Increase scalability: When you automate your processes, you make it easier to scale your business without increasing your workload exponentially.
The goal? To work in your zone of genius and let the tech handle the tedious stuff.
What Exactly is a Project Management Tool?
Before we dive into how automation works, let’s clarify what I mean by project management tools. A project management tool is software that helps you organize, track, and manage your business tasks and projects in one place. These tools offer features like task assignment, deadline tracking, progress monitoring, and communication integration.
Here are some of the most popular project management tools you’ve probably heard of:
- Asana: Excellent for task management and team collaboration.
- Trello: Known for its easy-to-use boards and visual interface.
- ClickUp: A more comprehensive tool that combines task management, time tracking, and project reporting.
- Monday.com: Known for its colorful, customizable project boards and automation features.
- Notion: A highly flexible tool that combines task management, note-taking, and document sharing.
These tools not only help you stay organized but also have built-in automation features to streamline repetitive tasks, reduce your workload, and ensure nothing falls through the cracks.
How Automation in Project Management Tools Can Save You Time
Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty—how exactly can automation within project management tools save you time? Here’s a breakdown of key areas where automation can make a massive difference in your day-to-day operations.
1. Automating Repetitive Tasks and Admin Work
As entrepreneurs, a huge chunk of our day can be consumed by repetitive tasks: scheduling meetings, sending out follow-up emails, assigning tasks, and keeping track of deadlines. Automation helps eliminate these tedious tasks, freeing up your mental energy and allowing you to focus on more strategic work.
Automating Task Creation
If your business has recurring tasks—like weekly content creation, monthly client check-ins, or invoicing—you can set up automation to handle these. For example, if you publish a blog post every week, you can use your project management tool to automatically create a task for content creation, assign it to a team member, and set a deadline.
- Example: Using Asana, you can create a task template for every blog post. The task is automatically assigned to the content creator with a due date. You can even trigger a follow-up reminder a few days before the deadline to ensure it gets done.
Automating Follow-Ups
No more manually sending “just checking in” emails or nudging team members about overdue tasks. Many project management tools can be set up to send automatic reminders based on deadlines or task status.
- Example: In ClickUp, you can automate follow-ups by creating a rule that sends a Slack message or email when a task is overdue, reducing the need for manual micromanagement.
2. Streamlining Communication and Client Onboarding
Effective communication is the backbone of any business. However, managing client communication, onboarding, and updates manually can be time-consuming. Automation allows you to streamline these processes while ensuring your clients feel supported and well-informed.
Automating Client Onboarding
First impressions matter. Automating your client onboarding process not only saves you time but also creates a seamless and professional experience for your clients.
- Example: When a new client signs a contract, Trello can automatically trigger a series of onboarding steps. Tasks such as sending a welcome email, providing access to project files, or scheduling a kickoff call can all be set up in advance. Once the contract is signed, the automation process kicks in, and your client feels supported without you having to manually manage each step.
Automating Progress Updates
Keeping clients in the loop is essential, but it can be a hassle to send regular updates when you’re juggling multiple projects. Automation can take over this responsibility, ensuring your clients are always aware of what’s happening with their project.
- Example: In Asana, you can set up automatic project status updates that go out to clients at regular intervals (weekly, bi-weekly, etc.). This means you no longer have to worry about sending that “here’s where we’re at” email every Friday.
3. Automating Team Delegation and Task Management
If you’re working with a team (or even just one assistant), delegation is crucial. But tracking who’s working on what and ensuring everything gets done on time can feel like a full-time job in itself. Luckily, automation can handle much of the task delegation process.
Automating Task Assignment
With automation, you can set up rules that automatically assign tasks to specific team members based on predefined triggers. For instance, when a new project comes in, you can create a system that assigns tasks to the appropriate team members without you having to oversee each step.
- Example: Using Monday.com, when a new project is created, tasks can be automatically assigned to the relevant people based on their roles. You no longer have to manually track who should be doing what.
Automating Task Progress and Deadlines
Project management tools like ClickUp and Asana can also help track task progress and alert team members when deadlines are approaching. This keeps everyone on the same page without you needing to constantly check in.
- Example: Let’s say a project is 75% complete but still has critical steps to be done. Automation can trigger a reminder to the team when the project reaches this point, ensuring deadlines are met without requiring your direct oversight.
4. Integrating with Other Tools for a Seamless Workflow
Another great aspect of project management tools is their ability to integrate with other software you’re already using—whether that’s email marketing, CRM, invoicing tools, or scheduling apps. This creates a seamless workflow that minimizes the need for manual input across platforms.
Connecting CRM and PM Tools
One of the most powerful integrations is connecting your customer relationship management (CRM) tool with your project management tool. This enables you to automate key actions like follow-ups, client onboarding, or even tracking sales leads without needing to manually transfer information between platforms.
- Example: By connecting a CRM like HubSpot to ClickUp, when a lead moves from “prospect” to “client,” ClickUp can automatically trigger a series of tasks to onboard the client, assign a project manager, and begin work—all without you needing to manage the transition.
Automating Marketing Campaigns
If you run email marketing campaigns, integrating your project management tool with email platforms like Flodesk or ConvertKit can automate parts of your marketing process, saving you hours of manual work.
- Example: When a marketing campaign is planned in your PM tool (e.g., in Trello), it can automatically push tasks to your email marketing platform to schedule emails, track analytics, and ensure everything stays on track.
Real-Life Case Studies of Female Entrepreneurs Who’ve Harnessed Automation
To help you see how transformative automation can be, let me share a couple of real-world examples of female entrepreneurs who’ve successfully integrated automation into their businesses.
1. Sarah’s Freelance Design Business
Sarah is a freelance web designer who was spending hours each week onboarding new clients, creating timelines, and chasing down deliverables. After implementing Trello with automated task templates, she now spends significantly less time on admin work.
When a new client signs a contract, Trello automatically creates a project board, assigns tasks to her team, and sends the client a welcome email. This process used to take her several hours a week—now it happens in the background, allowing her to focus on creative design work.
2. Rebecca’s Coaching Business
Rebecca is a business coach who works with female entrepreneurs to help them scale their businesses. She used to spend hours scheduling appointments, sending follow-up emails, and managing her clients’ progress. By implementing ClickUp and integrating it with her calendar and CRM, she automated much of this process.
Now, when a client books a session, ClickUp automatically assigns follow-up tasks, sends reminder emails, and tracks her clients’ progress over time. This has freed up 10+ hours per week for Rebecca, which she now spends developing new coaching programs.
How to Get Started with Task Automation in Your Business
Now that you know how automation can free up your time and help you grow, here’s how to get started with task automation in your own business:
1. Choose the Right PM Tool for You
Every business is unique, so the best tool for you depends on your needs. Start by evaluating the tools mentioned earlier (Asana, Trello, ClickUp, Monday.com) and choose the one that feels the most intuitive for your business model.
2. Identify Key Areas for Automation
Look at your current processes and identify the tasks that take up the most time or are the most repetitive. These are prime candidates for automation.
3. Start Small
Automation can be overwhelming at first, so start with just a few small automations and build from there. Whether it’s automating task creation, follow-up emails, or progress tracking, small changes can make a big impact.
4. Scale As You Grow
As you get more comfortable with automation, continue to optimize your workflows. Look for new ways to integrate your PM tool with other software, add automations to additional parts of your business, and continually streamline your processes.
Reclaim Your Time and Focus on Growth
Ladies, we started our businesses for freedom, flexibility, and fulfillment—not to drown in admin tasks. Task automation within project management tools is a powerful way to free up time, reduce stress, and allow you to focus on the parts of your business that truly matter.
By automating repetitive tasks, streamlining communication, and delegating efficiently, you can reclaim your time and energy, all while growing your business more sustainably. And remember, automation isn’t about removing the human touch from your business—it’s about creating space for you to do the work that lights you up.
So, are you ready to take control of your time and scale your business with ease? Let’s automate the small stuff, so you can focus on your big dreams.
You’ve got this!
— Cassi Hentzel ✨
FAQ:
- What are project management tools and why are they important for female entrepreneurs?
- Project management tools help entrepreneurs organize, track, and manage tasks and projects efficiently. For female entrepreneurs juggling multiple roles, these tools streamline workflows, save time, and reduce stress.
- How can task automation save time for female entrepreneurs?
- Task automation eliminates repetitive manual tasks such as scheduling, follow-ups, and task assignment. This allows female entrepreneurs to focus more on strategic and creative aspects of their businesses.
- Which project management tools are best for automation?
- Some popular project management tools with automation features include Asana, Trello, ClickUp, Monday.com, and Notion. Each offers unique features for automating tasks, deadlines, and workflows.
- How do I start automating tasks in my project management tool?
- Start by identifying repetitive tasks, then use automation features within tools like Asana or Trello to create templates, automate reminders, and assign tasks based on triggers.
- Can automation help me scale my business?
- Yes! Automation streamlines your operations, allowing you to handle more projects and clients without increasing your workload. This frees up time for business growth and strategic planning.
- How does automation improve client communication?
- Automation can send clients updates, follow-ups, and onboarding sequences without manual intervention. This keeps clients informed and ensures consistency in communication, improving overall client experience.
