04/03/2025
What Does ‘Busywork’ Really Mean?
I use this phrase all the time, but I hadn’t realised how unfamiliar it might be to those outside the world of automation—shout-out to one of my lovely proofreaders for pointing it out!
So, what is busywork?
It’s exactly what it sounds like—work that keeps you busy but doesn’t actually move your business forward.
🔻 Common examples of busywork:
❌ Manually sending and tracking invoices & payment reminders
❌ Manually keeping on top of customer enquiries and typing out the same responce time and again
❌ Sorting and labelling emails every day
❌ Manually posting to social media across multiple platforms
❌ Rewriting the same email responses over and over
❌ Sending onboarding documents to every new client manually
❌ Manually tracking deadlines & project updates
❌ Chasing clients for feedback or approvals
❌ Manually scheduling meetings with endless back-and-forth emails
❌ Copy-pasting Zoom links into calendar invites
❌ Manually moving data between apps
❌ Constantly tweaking your website instead of focusing on lead generation
❌ Replying to emails the moment they come in instead of batching responses
❌ Sitting in unnecessary Zoom meetings that could have just been an email
Sound familiar? You’re not alone!
Busywork isn’t just unproductive—it’s mentally exhausting. It’s one of the biggest reasons small business owners feel overwhelmed and stretched too thin. It’s easy to get bogged down in these tasks and feel like you’re making progress, when in reality, you’re just spinning your wheels.
The good news? It doesn’t have to be this way! 🚀
There are so many brilliant tools and apps designed to take these repetitive tasks off your plate—some free, others low-cost, but all incredibly cost-effective when you consider how much time and stress they save you.
⏳ Over the next few days, I’ll be reviewing some of the best free and budget-friendly automation tools that can help you cut down on busywork and reclaim your time. Stay tuned! 👀
PS if there's something you are struggling with in particular, or a dream tool you'd love to have - comment below and I'll try and include a platform that meets your needs!
