Do you control your email or does your email control you? An accountant’s day is already overwhelming – with spreadsheets, calculations, and invoices. Just like these things, most accountants also have their hands full with their emails. Starting the day with hundreds, maybe thousands of unread emails is not just a problem but can be extremely stressful. Trying to manage such a clumsy inbox can be extremely challenging for busy professionals. It takes away the focus from all other important things. Fresh emails and endless threads can turn a good day bad.
Apart from these important emails, there is this one thing that we all dread – Spam emails. Companies like Google block about 100 million spam messages per day, yet here we are – emails flooded with spam. The accounting world relies heavily on email. The fact that it is fast, free, and accessible to anyone, makes it all the more in-demand tool. Its greatest disadvantage also lies in the fact it is accessible to anyone and it is overused.
According to Karbon, accountants handle about 100-200 emails per day. This amounts to 24 hours each week spent in their inbox. What does that amount to if we calculate the time an accounting firm spends sorting emails? A lot, right? Now the question arises is there no way out? There is.
In this article, Finsmart Accounting – globally trusted for outsourced accounting solutions – will share expert email management tips and tricks for accounting firms and bookkeepers. Let’s start!
TIPS:
Here are some tips that can help super busy accountants and bookkeepers stay sorted when it comes to their email inboxes:
– Develop a strict schedule: The email is like a loop; you keep falling into it. The best way out to ensure that you do not waste a lot of time on emails is by building a strict schedule around it. Accountants tend to check their emails inconsistently; the fear of missing out on something important holds them back at all times. This leads to a lot of time being spent looking at spam, re-reading emails, and making unnecessary replies. Make it a rule to dedicate 30 minutes in the morning to respond to emails and prioritize tasks and 30 minutes at the end of the day if necessary.
– Do not work from your inbox: Your inbox is a tool to send and receive emails, not a place to work from. Working directly from your inbox can lead to distractions and inefficiencies. Your inbox is a time bomb that is determined to ruin your precious and limited time. The best way to handle this is by creating a folder where you can prioritize emails that need immediate attention and stick by that for the day. This helps bookkeepers and accounting professionals avoid getting sidetracked by new emails and stay on track. Indeed a practical email management tip for bookkeepers.
– Be strict about emails you are CC-d in: Having the fear of missing out on important stuff when not looking at the inbox is only normal. But this fear would not exist when you are not tagged in long, never-ending email threads. It might be tough at first but is extremely helpful when you are strict with your peers about the kind of emails you are tagged in. There are a lot of emails that accountants and bookkeepers receive internally that do not hold much value and this is the right way to go about it.
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– Do not leave your email open: This might sound very trivial, but it is not. Constantly checking the inbox can disrupt your workflow throughout the day. This is a barrier when you are trying to focus and decreases your productivity. Once you have addressed the priority emails and made a list for the day, it is wise to close your email to reduce distractions. Leaving it open creates constant additional pressure.
– Operate within expectations: While this might not be a regular occurrence, the fear of missing happens when there are discrepancies in the deadlines and client expectations. Define the turnaround time, even for responding to emails. This inbox management hack will help you and your fellow accountants set realistic expectations and is also great for managing communication effectively. Also, it helps bookkeepers respond on time without constant pressure.
– Turn off the system and mobile notifications for your email: Accountants, you do not need the notification during your work hours. As soon as the system or the phone beeps, accountants feel an immediate urge to check the pop-up, breaking the concentration on the task they have been doing. Remember, while you are working, you can check the inbox when you need to. Following the notification is unnecessary. This is a pro email management tip for accountants.
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– Practice digital hygiene: As everything becomes more digitalized, hygiene must be practiced here. Unsubscribe from promotional emails, newsletters, and app notifications. They clutter your inbox and make you more anxious. Dedicate some time in the week to declutter the inbox, reduce distractions, and communicate effectively.
– Automate your responses: While it might not be possible to automate everywhere, there are always standard emails that include invoices, receipts, and almost similar communication with different clients. Set up filters and rules to direct machine-generated emails to a dedicated folder and create a streamlined process for handling these messages. This ensures that important automated communications are processed promptly without affecting your focus on other priority tasks. Loved this inbox management idea for accountants? Let us know I’m the comments!
– Delegate the job: This is especially helpful if you are leading an accounting firm. In such cases, daily, there are several communications, the responses of which need to be tailored carefully and uniquely. Delegating email management to a trusted assistant can help alleviate your workload and streamline your inbox management process. This delegation not only enhances your productivity but also ensures that important messages are promptly addressed. This is, sometimes, the only way to ensure decluttering.
– Explore better communication tools: One of the worst things that an accountant can indulge in is conversation through emails. And this is often the main reason why they spend such huge portions of their day in the inbox. As technology continues to serve us better, it is essential to explore tools and apps that can help with internal discussions. Some of the top applications include Microsoft Teams, Slack, Trello, etc. They allow accounting firms to keep conversations organized and on record. It also helps accountants avoid unnecessary back and forth.
Email Management for Busy Accountants: Conclusion
Mastering inbox management effectively is a skill that busy accountants and bookkeepers must hone. As they strive to have better productivity and maintain proper work-life balance, it becomes imperative. The tips in this article will allow accountants and accounting firms to gain control over their inboxes, minimize distractions, and streamline workflow. The key to success lies in consistency and adaptability. Start small but start today and bring along the changes that you want to see. Take proactive steps to manage your inbox and take help wherever necessary. This will help create a more conducive work environment for yourself and your team.
Struggling to manage accounting deadlines? It might be time for you to outsource. Speak with the experts at Finsmart Accounting by writing to us at connect@finsmartaccounting.com
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Director Growth Strategy & Alliance
Maanoj Shah is a finance and outsourcing expert with strong Business Strategy and Scaling-up experience. Over the last 20 years, he has incubated multiple businesses and helped build global enterprises in verticals as diversified as hospitality, technology, and healthcare.
