Why you need systems in your business

As a small business owner, you’re probably doing quite a lot of the day-to-day doing, right?

And some of those tasks are probably operational, such as accounts or admin which are taking you away from actually doing what your business is supposed to be doing?

What you need are some systems and processes to help make your life a little easier.

Essentially, systems are repeatable processes which can be done by others, that don’t involve your specific set of skills. By handing these over, you can theoretically free up some more time to focus on business development, strategy and overseeing the running of the business as a whole.

Now, it’s really easy to say that you haven’t got time to set up these systems, or that there are more pressing tasks that should be completed first. However, by not doing this, you will only be wasting more time spending on tasks that you shouldn’t be doing, with no time left to grow the business! So put some time aside now, and it will pay off in the long run.

Not only that, when it comes to valuing your business, systems are what adds pound signs, they are a real asset. The idea is that the business should be able to run without you, and with systems in place to help do that, the more valuable it becomes to investors.

Systemising the business will not only free up your time to focus on business growth, it also helps the business to grow too! It allows for replication, whether that is with other products, in other areas, or even perhaps as a franchise business. So the more you can automate, the more opportunities you have for expansion.

With systems, comes consistency. As a customer, you’ll know exactly what you are getting as it’s being done in the same way, every single time. Providing a consistently excellent customer service will help provide a steady stream of happy, loyal customers who not only will return time and again, but will also refer you to their family and friends.

So if you want to escape the prison of your own business, then systemising is key.

How do you start? In a very simplified way, you need to list all the roles you do in the business. Then identify which ones can be done without you needing to do them; those that could easily be outsourced to a member of staff. You should prioritise which ones to focus on first – those that take the most amount of time for you to do, as well as the ones which would have the most effect on your customers, such as automated emails to follow up with your customers post-purchase, for example.

Then, create a checklist to record how to do this task, write it down, and even record yourself doing the task, and then you’ll find it easier to hand over to others, and not have to spend time training over and again every time someone new comes on board.

So really, all you are doing to begin with is just getting the information out of your head, down onto paper or onto film, so that others can easily replicate the task, thereby freeing up your time.

Sounds simple, right?

Why not try with one or two tasks, and then once you see the effect that it has on your bottom line, then you can increase by employing people and/or software to further automate your business as much as possible. Then reap the rewards as a result!