Systemizing a Business - Page 3

We see it again and again; business owners rarely take a vacation or planned time away from their business. They are drawn to the fact that the business will explode or implode in their absence. How can you leave when you (or another key person on your team) are the one who keeps the business together?

Question: How do your business personalities react with each other to transform you and your business?

This month, as we've focused on how to cultivate an employee ownership mindset, you may have noticed that we've focused on what you can do as a leader and not on what your employees can do. This was deliberate. As a leader you can create the foundation for your employees to establish ownership, but they have to be willing to step up to the plate. This week we'll focus on how to ensure your employees know what is expected of them so they can step up to the plate.

This month we have been focused on conducting a business checkup so that you and your team are clear on what your business needs in the 4th quarter to finish this year strong and build momentum for 2016. We have discussed analyzing goals, developing next actions, meeting with your Accountant, and taking a critical look at your Marketing Plan and Sales Process. This week we turn the focus to the people that run the systems: Your team. They are active and vital players in your business. This week we will look at three areas to investigate when doing a staff check-up; Tools, Trainings and Measuring Results.

Last week we discussed the need to give your business a checkup heading into the 4th quarter and identified three key places to start: Business Goals and Performance Indicators, Next Steps, and Meeting with your Accountant. You may realize by now that these initial checks were just the tip of the iceberg. With a fresh perspective on the original goals that were set for the business, now is a natural time to look at other areas of the business to ensure that they are feeding the overall health of the business.

This month we've challenged your business to create a system a month and discussed different types of systems. If you're like most business owners, this might still seem a little daunting. Where are you going to find create time to document a system a month? The good news is you don't have to, your business does. Getting staff involved in the systemization of your business is something that should happen as soon as you are comfortable with the process.   

Staff involvement takes some training and thus time, but the investment is worth the time. When your staff is involved in systems they have ownership in not just creating the systems, but in using them on a day to day basis. In addition, dedicating more resources to the process allows the business to realize the impact of systems earlier than if you try to do it all yourself.   Also if you look at the value of your time as a business owner, typing up a system is not the best use of your time. Your attention needs to be on the strategic planning and the vision of the systems, not on the technical details.   Here are four tips to get your staff started in system design:  

This month we've challenged you to create a system a month in 2015. It can seem overwhelming, especially as systems can get complicated, but they don't all have to be complicated. When we discuss systems most people think of the detailed action plans that are used for training purposes. The systems that are so detailed that someone with very little experience can easily follow along. Those systems are necessary in any business, but they are not the ones that get used on a day to day basis. The systems that get used on a day to day basis are typically resources or a mini-system of your full blown system. As you're working on your 2015 System Challenge, don't forget these easier to implement systems that can make a huge impact on the operation of your business.

Quote: "The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don't want it badly enough. They're there to stop the other people."  - Randy Pausch

Question: What would it truly mean to you, to have your business systemized?

This year, we're challenging you to participate in our 2015 Systems Challenge. The challenge is simple and realistic: create one new system in your business each month for a year. By the end of 2015 you'll have 12 less frustrations, 12 turn-key processes in place, and be 12 steps closer to your vision.

It's no secret that we believe in creating and implementing systems. There are many reasons your business should adopt a systems focus including less frustrations, consistent and predictable results, superior customer service and yes even increasing the value of your business.  Most business owners buy in to the idea of systems, but implementation can often take the back burner for a variety of reasons. Often times the main barrier comes down to time management and making system development a priority in your business.