When we start on our business journey it is often a solo venture. You must learn and understand each aspect of your business.

With this you develop systems and procedures which allow for the progression and success of your business.

It is often why many entrepreneurs are so passionate about what they do, they know how to do so much of their business, they have seen its growth and they know the business potential.

We are sure that is why you are here.

To continue the progress of your business it is important to establish tried and tested systematic processes that work for your business.

They should provide autonomy in certain aspects and produce consistent and improving results over time.

You and your employee:

Almost all aspects of business need systems that work. Over time you may have developed your own systems that work, or you learned from previous experience.

If this has brought your business to a certain point and you need to hire further employees, it is essential for your business that your employees know these systems.

Systems provide the backbone to your business and can show individuality and the uniqueness of your business while also teaching your employees what it is that they need to do in their role.

Systems provide an opportunity for delegation, allow for the independence of departments and develop harmony between departments as your business grows.

Without them, you may have several conflicting methods to reach your goals.

How systems help your business:

Solo projects and large corporations all benefit from using systems throughout their business. They provide a wealth of benefits:

Greater autonomy:

This autonomy is found both in individuals and within departments.

When each person and department know and understand the steps they must follow, it provides owners, managers and employees greater freedom.

If employees follow the systems that are in place, it will reduce time spent on tasks, the need for constant observation and allow for the continued progression of these departments.

With the proper systems in place, you can delegate tasks effectively, freeing up more time to work on other areas of your business.

It provides greater freedom for employees and managers to work effectively and perhaps come up with improvements to your systems for even greater success.

Develop and Highlight Talent:

With the right systems in place, you can assign tasks to those with specific skills or a penchant for certain tasks.

Within each system, there will be tasks that must be completed.

With clear directions, employees can complete these tasks and you can better gauge who is suited to certain roles and processes or hire directly for these roles.

Improved Hiring Process and Retention:

With specific systems in place, you can hire more effectively and retain quality employees for longer.

Whether it is you or your HR department taking control of the hiring process, knowing specific roles and functions greatly improves your hiring.

You can seek out employees who have experience in the roles you need.

Those who can add value and align with the functions of your business.

When employees know their role and the controls and KPIs expected of them, it is much easier to gel into new positions.

Roles with incentives and employee feedback and growth all lend themselves to employee retention.

Will systems improve your business?

Without systems in place and the subsequent delegation that can follow, it is near impossible to grow your business.

You will simply not have the time as you will be working within your business, teaching your processes, monitoring each aspect of your business and so on.

Systems allow for quality checks, accountability and a degree of autonomy which allows you to work at a better and higher rate for your business.

It also allows you to earn more and take a needed vacation when the time arises.

Even if you are working solo or with a small team, having systems in place allows you to get tasks done faster and more efficiently, as you know each of the steps involved to accomplish these tasks.

But what systems should you focus on?

The different systems you focus on all depend on the needs of your business, what you are comfortable delegating and the weak and strong points of your company.

There are key areas that you should consider focusing on:

• Marketing– Your marketing teams should develop constant leads and improve brand awareness be it online or in-store.
• Sales– Every business needs a sales system to develop leads, make sales and retarget when appropriate.
• Customer Service– Happy customers are at the core of your business. Having systems in place for queries, complaints and recommendations will go a long way in assisting your business.
• Product development and Procurement- The constant development of your product and services line will ensure continued success. Whether it is through in-house development or procurement from outside sources, having a steady supply is important.
• HR– Developing employees, providing resources, training and hiring are all incredibly important. With a happy workforce that knows their roles, obligations and areas of advancement you can continually improve your business.

Of course, many other departments require system development, but with these core areas covered your business should be able to run effectively and either maintain or improve upon existing standards.

How to create a quality business system:

Now that you know the benefits of systems for your business, how do you develop these?

The following outlines can be applied to many departments within your company, some will be easier to develop than others and it may be necessary to seek outside assistance which we will look at a little later.

Knowing your business functions:

It’s important to know what roles are required in your business at this time.

Finance, admin, marketing and sales are four core areas that make the foundation for most businesses.

What are the roles and functions required in each?

Know each activity:

It’s important to get to basics here about each role and how it impacts each function of your business.

You can discuss this with your current employees or develop it from your own hands-on experience.

What tools are used, who works in each area, what strategies do they follow now, and what systems are in place?

Each department and function will be different depending on your business so it’s important to manage each step slowly through this development stage.

Improve the systems already in place:

It is very likely that you already have systems in place for much of your business functions. Though they may not be written down and established they are there and may need improvement.

If you have already looked at the functions and tasks in place, which areas can be improved?

Can you eliminate some steps, and consolidate them into finer tuned steps or do you have to establish entirely new systems for freshly developed tasks?

If so, collaborate with the key players in these roles.

See what suggestions they have to offer, consult with your business coach or run through the processes yourself to see what is working and what is not.

Ensure these changes are understood among your employees.

They must know why they are taking place and what improvements they will have for your business.

Test your new system:

All new developments in business will often come with a few additional hurdles, which is why it is important to test your new systems.

This can be done over weeks or months.

It’s important to give the new systems time to show results.

Have established KPIs in place so you have targets and measure effectively.

Should minor changes be needed this can occur during the testing phase.

Once the trial period is over reviewing the results and evaluate changes that are needed.

Get Assistance:

It’s important to use the tools available to you and to ask for assistance. Tools such as Trello, Asana, Zoom and others are designed especially for business.

They can help with communication, planning, organising and tracking.

They will allow you to delegate tasks and release some responsibilities, but also allow you to track and manage what is happening in your business.

It’s also important to seek guidance and assistance.

This can come internally from employee and customer feedback but also externally.

It can be difficult at times to see when you are too hands-on with your business and when you need to let some areas operate autonomously.

It can also be difficult to establish the exact processes to use.

With the help and guidance of a business coach, you can overcome these hurdles and many others.

Get in touch with us today.