How To Be Outrageously Successful in Systems and Processes
The best businesses have one thing in common. Their systems and processes are designed to help them succeed efficiently, cost-effectively and in a way, which complements the primary operations of the business.
Many business owners do not take the time to map and implement systems and processes that not only create value but also build future opportunities as their systems and processes become an asset that can be leveraged to grow or sell their business.
Systems and processes allow owners to automate and delegate. Without a system, they don’t just own the business they are the business. And by creating policies and means, they can leverage their time and start scaling their business and building an asset.
Many business owners cringe when they hear those two words, systems, and processes. They will be unknowingly using a variety of methods, albeit undocumented and probably not measured. And if something is unknown and unmeasured, its impact cannot be clearly understood or utilized meaningfully.
In all its simplicity, Systems are “what” you do to fulfil your business goals and Processes are “how” you do it. Systems will allow you to focus on the long- term gains rather than the short- term results.
Your Systems need to align with your Vision and Goals. So start with the basics and build from there.
The four primary areas to Systemise are:
- Marketing what generates your leads or creates an interest in your services or products.
- Sales what turns your leads into a paying customer?
- Delivery what do you need to provide in exchange for the money received? This also extends to customer service and customer support, as well as quality control.
- Administration managing pricing, invoicing, accounts, cash forecasts, filing, records such as stock on hand consumables, etc.
Once you have your Systems, i.e., the “what” done, you need to put in place your Processes, which is the “how.”
So how should you go about doing this? I suggest you use a wall or a large whiteboard and post-it notes.
Write down whatever comes to mind for that area, one idea per post-it note. From that you can write up your systems, then repeat the brain dump for each system you’ve created to create your processes required for that system.
When writing a process, you need to note all the steps that are required; any ‘tools” needed, plus it must also include a timeline. The process needs to be measurable to ascertain its effectiveness.
Be sure to prioritise just what’s immediately essential to generate business and bring in cash flow. You don’t want to have so many Systems and Processes that it becomes overwhelming and nothing gets done. Start with the essentials, and you can add to them as you get to appreciate the freedom you are now creating for yourself. To start working on your business, not in it. Now you need to automate the training of the processes for your staff.
The easiest way to do this is to make a vocal video of the steps that are done for each process with a screenshare, as well as a transcription. You can use a combination of Zoom for the video and screen share and Otter for the transcription. By doing this each time you create a process, you will soon build a comprehensive library of all your operations.
There must be accountability to measure results. Assign personnel to oversee the tasks and record results. If you are not obtaining or exceeding the results you set out to get, your processes may need tweaking.
The addition of Systems and further Processes won’t seem as daunting if you start with the basics. When staff is on-board, they can give access to the videos required for their position. This will also enable the staff performing these processes to offer input on any updates necessary.
Having systems will allow your business to run like a well-oiled machine, be more streamlined, create better productivity, and ultimately become more profitable. You will have more time to focus on the growth and the activities that generate more profit, which is a far better use of your time and energy.
As your business grows, evaluate your Systems and Processes to ascertain if they need to be revised refined and updated. Be sure to have a secure vault and a backup for all your systems and processes.
If this all seems too daunting and you need a helping hand, please book a free 20-minute call with me, and I’ll happily put you on the right track.
