Write Out and Implement a Workflow<\/h2>\n
How many steps are within your processes for finding a deal, putting it\u00a0under contract, receiving contractor bids, having\u00a0inspections performed, completing\u00a0closing, and pushing through\u00a0renovation processes? What’s the timeline for the renovation? Did they complete all the work? Did you have weekly checks at the property? Do you have a quality control process?<\/p>\n
The list of what you need to do, understand, or check goes on, and on, and on.<\/p>\n
First, if you don’t have\u00a0a workflow, don’t worry. Start by white boarding every step in your process, bullet point by bullet point. What does it look like? When does 1, 2, 3 occur? Is it something you do most or all of the time? Great! Write it down. Add it to your workflow. Write it down, take a picture of it, create it as a Word document, Evernote it, and have it nearby. Read it to your spouse at the dinner table. They will LOVE it. Seriously, like a bedtime story about contractors, closings, and linear feet of such and such.<\/p>\n
Anyway, once you have your workflow written out, understand the interactions of the processes and where information is being updated, transferred, or handed off to a new team member or outside person. For instance, once you have a deal under contract, it needs to go to your title person. How does it get there? How do you remember to send it? If you aren’t the person responsible to send it, then who is, and how do they know?<\/p>\n
![\"tenant-screening-tips\"](\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/tenant-screening-tips.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n
Related:<\/strong> 7 Top Business Books to Help You Put Vital Systems in Place<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n There are a lot of great basic real estate-related apps within Podio. Don’t try to get complex with them, at least not at first. Think through what you need to track things effectively. Do you need properties or addresses? Do you need leads or people’s contacts? Do you need to run an actual renovation project or just get the deal out to your wholesale list (and click a button within Podio and send it there)? Within our business, we have a lead app that houses leads, we have a listing app that has all the potential deals, and we have a project app that runs the projects.<\/p>\n We have gone through four or five iterations of these apps. Don’t worry, it won’t be perfect the first time. The amazing thing about the apps is if you think about what you want\u00a0it to do, you can in real time apply the changes. We are always refining the apps and refining the information in them. Within Podio, the basic version is OK, but\u00a0if you are serious about getting the apps talking (and your team getting real time workflow updates), get\u00a0Globiflow<\/a>. It’s a game changer, with way more flexible and intuitive workflows.<\/p>\n One of the absolute coolest things about Podio is the way the different apps within Podio can interact. For instance, you have a wholesale deal sold? Great. Mark it pending or under contract in your listing\/deal app, and then have that action create a series of repeatable processes with a different app. In real time, the investor buying your wholesale deal signs the contract, and then you can have Podio automatically email the contract to your title person and your coordinator or to you. Wherever you want it to go, you can set it up to automate.<\/p>\n On our team, we now have five active people who are operating within Podio on a daily basis. We have to have clarity not only on WHO is doing what, but\u00a0on\u00a0HOW we\u00a0document it.<\/p>\nDefine, Create, and Refine Your Apps<\/h2>\n
Get Your Apps Connected<\/h2>\n
![\"middle-class\"](\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/middle-class.jpg\" "\\"\\"")