As the owner of a thriving NDIS business, Davina is well-acquainted with the pressures of managing various functions from rostering to compliance. Amid the current business environment, finding efficiencies through software to automate SCHADS Award interpretation has become critical. Here’s a look at Davina’s week and how she optimises her time and resources to ensure her business continues to grow.
MONDAY: Rostering and Scheduling
Time Spent: 6 hours
Davina begins her week with the daunting task of rostering. With over 50 staff members, ensuring the right people are scheduled for the right shifts is crucial. “Finding a balance between staff availability and participant needs is always a puzzle,” she says. When Davina finally prioritised an intuitive timesheet app which excels in award interpretation under the SCHADS Award specifically, she saved money switching over from a bloated rostering system to a more streamlined process with better lines of communication.
“Fairtime timesheets not only help cross reference worked hours for rostering and invoicing purposes, but it also does wage remediation by automating payroll calculations and ensuring compliance,” Davina explains. This switch has saved her several hours weekly and eliminated the need for external bookkeepers.
Tip: Swap out rostering systems filled with empty promises for timesheet software with advanced award interpretation features – reducing payroll errors and ensuring all worked hours and leave are tracked and reported on.
TUESDAY: Sales and Marketing
Time Spent: 5 hours
Marketing to new NDIS participants and maintaining relationships with existing ones takes up Davina’s Tuesday. “It’s all about visibility and trust,” she notes. By leveraging online platforms and local community engagement, Davina has expanded her participant base. “Using a CRM system helps track interactions and follow-ups, ensuring no lead goes cold,” she adds. Although it’s not strictly necessary for the CRM to connect directly with rostering or NDIS timesheet software, Fairtime’s Notes feature can allow managers to add additional notes where necessary and ensure no gaps are missed.
Tip: Invest in CRM software to automate follow-ups and keep track of potential and existing participant interactions.
WEDNESDAY: Recruitment and Staff Management
Time Spent: 4 hours
Finding and hiring the right staff is an ongoing challenge. Davina spends her mid-week interviewing potential candidates and managing current staff performance. “We use online job portals and social media to find candidates, but integrating employee onboarding with award interpretation capabilities has been a game-changer,” she says. This not only saves time but also ensures a consistent hiring process compliant with the SCHADS Award. This is done by accurately categorising staff and setting pay rates.
Tip: Use recruitment software to shortlist candidates, manage applications and hire new staff. Fairtime onboarding then takes care of the rest, from reviewing employee qualifications to assigning correct award levels and classifications.
THURSDAY: Online Presence and Digital Marketing
Time Spent: 3 hours
Davina dedicates her Thursdays to building and maintaining her business’s online presence. “Our website and social media are crucial for attracting new participants and staff,” she emphasises. Regular updates and engaging content have helped build her brand. “Tools like Hootsuite allow us to schedule posts and track engagement, saving hours each week,” Davina shares.
Tip: Utilise social media management tools to schedule posts and analyse engagement, freeing up time for other business activities.
FRIDAY: Payroll and Compliance
Time Spent: 5 hours
End of the week is payroll day. Davina ensures all her staff are paid correctly and on time. “Using Fairtime, which integrates payroll and compliance features, has simplified this process immensely,” she says. “The timesheet software interprets the SCHADS Award accurately, saving hours by calculating everything correctly, from classification levels to pay rates.” This integration has cut her payroll processing time by half and reduced errors, thus avoiding costly penalties.
Tip: Automate payroll calculations and compliance checks with NDIS timesheet software that includes award interpretation features to reduce manual effort and minimise errors.
SATURDAY: Participant Engagement
Time Spent: 2 hours
Davina spends part of her weekend engaging directly with NDIS participants. “Understanding their needs and receiving feedback is essential for improving our services,” she explains. This direct engagement has fostered stronger relationships and higher satisfaction rates.
Tip: Regularly engage with participants to gather feedback and improve service delivery, ensuring compliance with NDIS guidelines.
SUNDAY: Personal Time
Time Spent: 0 hours (on work)
Despite her busy schedule, Davina ensures to reserve Sundays for personal time and family. “It’s vital to recharge and be ready for the upcoming week,” she reflects. This balance helps maintain her energy and focus on business growth long term.
Tip: Allocate personal time in your weekly schedule to avoid burnout and maintain a healthy work-life balance.
Strategies to Save Time and Money
- Adopt Integrated Software Solutions: Utilise tools like Fairtime that handle rostering, payroll, and compliance in one platform, with built-in award interpretation features. This reduces the need for multiple systems and external advisors, saving both time and money.
- Automate Marketing Efforts: Use CRM and social media management tools to automate participant engagement and marketing campaigns, freeing up time for more strategic activities throughout the week.
- Streamline Recruitment Processes: Implement a process to manage job postings, applications, and candidate communications efficiently. Staff onboarding can then be managed through your timesheet or rostering system.
- Regular Feedback Loops: Engage with participants and staff regularly to identify areas for improvement and address issues promptly.
By implementing these strategies, Davina has not only managed to scale her NDIS business effectively but also maintained a sustainable work-life balance, proving that with the right tools and approach, even the busiest schedules can be optimised.
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