How Building Systems Allow Your Business to Grow

When your business is just you, there’s little need for systems. Most of the time, you’re making it up as you go along. That all changes, as soon as the fun of having your own business wears off, and you realize that with your first employee came more questions than you ever thought possible. It’s more work, not less, because you still have to do the work plus find the time to train the new employee. Sooner or later, it hits you: systems don’t constrict your creativity. They allow it.

A system will fundamentally change your business. But, it has to be the right system, broken down into manageable learning chunks, and then taught to capable and willing employees. With a system and trained employees in place, you now have a line to which you can hold them accountable. If they don’t follow the system, you now have something to talk about. The chances are your employees will disappoint you a whole lot less with a system than without one.

You’ll find this in Chapter 27 of Smart Business Stupid Business. It may be one of the most powerful exercises you can do for yourself and your growing business.

Get a few pads of sticky notes, a couple of pens, and a piece of heavy tagboard.

Step One: Identify a task you do in your business at least once a month and that is something that is significantly below your personal ROI threshold.

Step Two: Go through every separate function you do as part of this process. Write each separate step down on a separate sticky note. It’s okay if they’re out of order and messy on the tagboard. For now, you’re just doing a brain dump of every step you can think of for that process.

Step Three: Review each of the sticky notes. Are they all broken down in their most basic pieces?

Step Four: Now that you have all of the steps lined out in this job that you want to hand (at least partially) off, look at each step. Who could do that step? If you need to hire someone, make a note of the level of experience and education you would need.

No matter how you grow your business, you’re going to find that there will be a time when systems will set you free.