5 Steps to Systemising your Business

Posted 29 Jul '15

As a small business owner you have a million things on your ‘to do’ list without needing to worry about a simple task being done like a quote being forwarded, an invoice being sent or a reminder message going out to a client. It’s these small but significant tasks that can slip off your radar when your focus is consumed in the operational side of your business.

This is where systems and structure become so important. Specifically, introducing and developing systems into your small business has many benefits including:

• Creating a consistent service for your clients
• Freeing up your time
• Allowing you to step away from being in the business and focus working on the business – ie marketing, planning, strategy
• Less stress and more energy for you as a business owner when you know exactly how every process in your business operates.
• Keeping you on track to achieving your goals
• Documented processes that allow you to easily on board new staff and train them

Running your small business doesn’t need to be chaotic, while certain unforeseen events can and will arise, the majority of your workplace procedures from on boarding a client to delivering a product/service can be structured and systemised.

5 Steps to Systemising your Business

1. Identify areas

When running a business, a lot of your processes may be stored in your head rather than on paper. You may know exactly how to sell, deliver and maintain relationships with your clients, but it means that the business solely relies on you to be successful leaving limited space for growth. You should first identify the areas of your business you need to systemise – ie, sales process, marketing activities, client care, financial management etc.

2. Prioritise

After realising that you have one hundred processes to systemise in your business, it might seem overwhelming, so the best thing to do is to first identify the areas of business most important to systemise, according to your business goals.

For example if your main goal is to have a steady flow of leads into your business, you should first focus on your marketing systems. What is your process for marketing weekly? Do you have one? What does it look like?

3. Break down each process

For each area of business you want to systemise you need to work out what you currently do first & document it. For example:

Sales Process for a website lead

Website lead > Phone within 24 hours > Book meeting > Convert Client > Send welcome pack > add to CRM > etc

Yours will be in more detail specific to your particular business but this is the idea. Think of the process you take from start to finish, how you do it and record the variables. This is also a great way to identify if there are things you do that make you service special and how you can market these things to your audience.

4. Trial and track

Once you have documented your systems and you are following them you will be able to see what works best for converting clients or managing your finances etc. You will be able to see areas that need improvement, such as gaps in your sales or client care processes that are potentially loosing you clients. You will be able to see what you are doing well and ultimately have the basis you need to grow your business.

5. Revisit 

The most important part of having systems for your business after creating them, trialling them and tracking them is to revisit them. There is no point in creating or tracking your processes if you do not revisit them to improve what you are doing.

Not to mention if you are bringing on new staff that need to be trained in how to answer phones, add clients to your system, invoice etc, your systems will need to be up to date and relevant to how you presently run business.

Start applying this 5 step process to your business today to improve your customer service, financial management, sales process and much more. Remember that a systemised business is a sustainable business.

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