Overwhelmed trying to run your business?
Things slipping through the cracks?
Tired of re-inventing the wheel every time you need to do tasks?
Frustrated with the bottlenecks in your business preventing you from growing?
Want to know the dirty little secret of how all the successful businesses you’ve been comparing yourself to are really getting it done? (Yeah, I know you have been.)
Ok. I’ll tell you.
Their dirty little secret…
Systems. Yup, that’s right… systems, processes and tools are the solution to the frustrations that are driving you crazy, sucking up your time, and making you hate your business right now. And they’re the secret weapons that will help you build the life and business you really wanted for yourself when you started this crazy journey of entrepreneurship.
If you’re like most small business owners, the word systems probably just got your heart racing and made you want to leave this page. Cheers to you for pushing through that feeling and continuing to read (you’ll be glad you did)! That freakout probably occurred because the word systems makes you (and millions like you, so don’t be embarrassed) think of spreadsheets, number-crunching, and a bunch of techy mumbo jumbo. But that’s not what a system is at all. As critical as they are to your success, a system is actual a simple concept, but also one that can totally save your ass… and your business.
You’ll be pleasantly surprised to learn that a system is, quite simply, the way you do something. Any set of tasks that you do repeatedly. For example, you may have system for how you handle custom orders/requests, your shipping, your email, your bookkeeping. Each of those systems contains the tasks you do regularly in those areas of your business.
Your systems are a really powerful asset to your business because they’re based on your unique way of doing things and those ‘unique ways of doing things’ are what make you stand out from the crowd. When documented, they’re also a financial asset.
The other source of resistance to systems is that creative people like us feel like systems will “box us in” or put limits on us. I thought the same thing. But actually the opposite is true…
- Your systems are based on your unique way of doing things. No box here. It’s all about taking your “special sauce” and documenting it to create processes that are repeatable and enable consistent results… no matter who is doing the work.
- Systems save time and energy. This frees you up and calms your mental chaos so you can be even more creative, have more time to create, do more things, make more of an impact with your business.
Ok, now that your heart rate is coming back down, let’s get clear on a few things…
- System – an organized structure of elements that form a procedure to carry out a specific activity
- Process – a series of actions or steps taken in order to perform a function and achieve a particular result
- Tool – something used as a means of accomplishing a task or purpose; can be a physical object, technology, a concept (like creativity or education), or even a person’s ability or knowledge
Tools make things easier. Often they’re software and apps. But really they can be analog or digital… as simple as a pen and paper or as advanced as a custom digital business operating system. Oftentimes, with the right tools, you can completely automate a system so that no one even has to do those time-consuming tasks anymore.
The system… your secret sauce… is a combination of all the things that make up your unique way of doing something. That includes the process itself (step-by-step how to do it), your tools, the people who do the work, AND the documentation of the system itself.
The secret sauce of the offer I’m outlining on this page for you is Process Improvement + System Creation. That includes optimizing your process and tools, creating the system and documenting it.
Here’s why these things are the secret to your success. They will…
- help keep you organized, productive, calm and in control
- facilitate consistency, which is critical in business
- help you be more efficient, saving you time and enabling you to do more with less
- single-handedly play the biggest part in helping you find more creative brain space… and creative time… to do the work you most love to do
- create better, more positive experiences for your customers, which will help you get repeat and referral business
- be incredibly helpful if/when you decide to hire help because they make it easy for someone to quickly step into a role and start doing things exactly the way you want them done
All of these help you grow and help your bottom line.
As a business owner, your most precious resource is your time. You can’t get more of it, you can only be more efficient with the time you already have. The great thing about systems is that they can actually create more time for you by freeing up time you’re spending inefficiently now. Many of the mundane tasks that take up the bulk of your time can be systematized, and even automated, to free up time for you to work on more important things. An added bonus is that it’s probably these tasks that are most frustrating to you because they feel like a waste of your time, so getting them off your plate will alleviate that frustration.
Solopreneurs often think that systems aren’t necessary for them, but if you’re a solopreneur… whether you intend to stay that way or not… you actually need them more. You’re already trying to do more with less. You’re doing it all by yourself, wearing all the entrepreneurial hats. That’s why you’re so frazzled. Systems can help tremendously. If you’re not quite ready to build a team (or don’t ever want to), creating systems for things that you do repeatedly can help you handle more on your own. And documenting the processes you use to do things will assure that if/when you do hire help, you’ll be ready and your business can function just as if it was still you doing everything.
Systems are a critical part of a successful, growing business. The earlier you start putting them into place the better.
If you’re the one doing everything, without systems to help, you’re spending a lot of time on activities that aren’t bringing money into your business. Systems will help you leverage your time instead of burying yourself in busywork. That’s how growth happens… when you have the ability to work on your business rather than in it.
A Word of CAUTION
We always focus on getting more leads, more sales, more eyeballs on our stuff, more customers, more, more, more. BUT we forget to make sure that we can handle them without things going wrong behind the scenes. So we end up overwhelmed and dropping balls.
If you try to grow your business without systems in place to handle that growth, your entire business could collapse all around you. Systems are the necessary infrastructure of a growing business. They’re what will hold your business together.
Yes, It Takes Time
It takes time… sometimes a lot of time… to build and implement a system in your business. But this is an investment that will pay for itself many times over. And you’ll only need to do it ONE TIME. Once you set it up, it’s there to help you and your team forever. You’ll improve on it as you use it. And you just need to maintain it, making sure that you update it when your process changes.
If you’re thinking “I’m waaaaaaay too busy to take the time to document systems!” that’s a key indication that you need them. But it doesn’t mean the documentation has to be done by you.
And remember… systems are helpful and save valuable time and energy whether they’re followed by you, a team member, or completely automated with technology.
Where do you start?
By taking an honest look at your business and all that’s going on within it.
How do you decide what needs a system?
Anything you do repeatedly.
Anything you want to start having someone else do instead of you.
Just a handful of things you can systematize…
- email management
- lead generation
- marketing
- program/product launches
- selling
- blogging
- invoicing and payment (accounts receivable)
- order fulfillment
- client intake/onboarding
- service delivery
- scheduling
- communication – internal and external
- supply ordering
- customer support
- follow-up
- referral processes
- bookkeeping
- analytics
- backup systems
- inventory
How do you decide what to systematize first?
The best thing:
- the one that will have the biggest positive impact on your business (Hint: look at what’s having the biggest negative effect on sales or has the best chance to improve sales.)
Some other possibilities:
- things that frustrate you
- things that take a lot of your time
- things that are outside your zone of genius (or core competency or whatever you prefer to call doing the work you love that brings in the money)
- things you already know are not working
So, let me ask you…
Do you have any systems set up for your business?
Are you taking advantage of the multitude of software, tools and apps available to help you be more efficient and consistent in your business?
Would you like to feel more calm and in control? be able to grow your business more easily? be able to spend more time on things you want to do?
You may be at the point of needing to improve a process, and create a system out of total chaos.
Maybe your business is growing beyond what your systems (or, more likely, lack thereof) can handle and balls are being dropped.
You know you need to hire help because of that growth, but you don’t have processes documented so you’re not ready.
You’re NOT alone. It happens to all of us who are lucky enough to grow. Congratulations 🙂
I Can Help You
Let’s identify the areas in your business where effective, streamlined systems will allow things to run more efficiently.
Let’s give you back some time… and peace of mind.
Let’s put you in a state of what I call Blissful Calm Confidence about your business.
How Does This Work?
Step 1 – Call #1
First we’ll talk so I can learn about your business, goals and plans for your business, specific situation and current resources, as well as what system would be most beneficial to you right now.
Step 2 – Call #2
We’ll have a second call, scheduled 1-7 days after our first, at your convenience. During this call, I’ll make recommendations for you about tools and a plan of action. This will usually involve options because, honestly, the best tool for you is the one you’ll actually use. That means you’ll need to take a look at them and see how you feel about them so we can decide which one is best for you.
Step 3 – You Review Options and Make Your Choice
Once you make your choice, you’ll sign up for the one you chose and pay for it if there’s a fee (MANY great ones are available for free or minimal cost, so do not let this stop you!)
Step 4 – Supported Implementation Period
You’ll have support from me for 3 weeks to set up your system, start using it and fine-tune your process.
Specific step-by-step tech support for the software/tool/app itself will come from that solution provider because they’re better equipped to answer specific questions about their product/service.
Step 5 – Call #3
During the 2nd or 3rd week, depending how far along you are, we’ll have a third call to evaluate how it’s going and see if we can improve it further.
This Stop Overwhelm with Systems Consulting Package Includes…
(3) 1-hour Skype sessions
Personalized System Recommendations for Your Business
An Action Plan for Process Improvement and Implementing 1 System
A 3-week Supported Implementation Period
AND an Absolutely PRICELESS BONUS…
As we go through this consulting process, you are actually going to see… and therefore learn… the process for creating a system. So in addition to whatever system we set up, you’re also now going to have A System for Creating Systems in Your Business on your own!
- We’ll talk about SOP’s (Standard Operating Procedures) and how to implement them for your specific business.
- You’ll have worksheets.
- You’ll have resources for tools to help you create, store, implement, use and improve your systems… now and once you have help.
It’s generally best to set up one system at a time, especially if it involves learning a new tool and you’re working alone. But sometimes you need more than one system (like yesterday, please!!). And quite often one tool can be used for multiple systems. So this is a completely personalized process where we look at your business and what’s best for you.
And the Investment?
I want to make your life easier and see you fulfill your dreams. So this package… to help you set up a personalized system that will save you time and frustration, facilitate consistency and growth (and grow with you), allow you to do more of what you love, add team members easier, and show you how to replicate this process in your business… is something I want to be affordable for you, no matter what stage of business you’re at.
$247
Note: Clicking the button will open a new tab, taking you to my scheduling app. You can pay for the package and schedule your first call. The two remaining calls will be scheduled later.