Why Systems And Processes Are Vital In Your Business
If you want to grow a successful business, you need to have systems and processes in place. They are the foundational piece of your business that will free you up from time-wasting activities. Systems and processes empower you to focus on the activities that will grow your business.
What Are Systems And Processes?
Systems and processes are the tasks you find yourself doing over and over again in your business. Systems answer the ‘what’ you do to run your business and processes answer the ‘how’ things get done.
For example, your system for marketing may include posting on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. The process gets more detailed. It includes all of the steps you take to get those posts created and scheduled.
James Cash Penney, the founder of JC Penney, has a great quote that summarizes the need for systems and processes. “Growth is never by mere chance; it is the result of forces working together.”
Growth in your business will not happen on its own. In fact, if you don’t take the time to build a strong foundation by establishing systems and processes, your business will become stagnant at some point and not be able to grow or scale.
Benefits Of Systems And Processes
-By having systems and processes in place, you will find that you are saving time and becoming more productive.
-You’ll be able to find that document you created last week because you’ll have a guideline for how to name each document or folder.
-Figuring out where to put a new document will be easy because you have a system set up for where to store similar documents.
- If you have questions about how to complete a task, you can pull up the SOP to help walk you through the process. You’ll know exactly what tech, tools, and steps you need to be successful in completing the task.
-Your website will be updated on a regular basis because it will be set as a recurring task in your project management tool.
-New clients will be impressed with how smoothly you bring them into your business to start working with them.
-Team members will be excited to join you because you have a clear set of instructions for training and their responsibilities.
-As you can see, there are many benefits to building systems and processes in your business. By documenting these steps, you save time and empower those on your team.
How To Get Started Setting Up Systems And Processes
If you want your business to grow, start setting up systems and processes now. Waiting until you get bigger will only delay the inevitable. Start today and build a solid foundation on which your business can grow.
Creating SOPs
Standard Operating Procedure, more commonly known as SOP, is where you record all of your steps of a process. They are the lifeline of your business. The first thing you need to do is begin to make a list of recurring tasks. Some ideas include:
Updating your financials
Writing a blog post
Recording a podcast
Doing a website audit
Reviewing SOPs
Onboarding a new client
Offboarding a new client
Managing your inbox
These are all things that you find yourself doing over and over in your business. They can take a lot of time to complete if you have to reinvent the wheel, so to speak, each time you do them. Document each step and make it easier on yourself the next time. To make it even easier, simply take a loom video of the process and then ask a team member to transcribe it for you.
Another added benefit to having SOPs is that when you do start to bring on team members, you can assign them one of these recurring tasks and hand them an SOP. This allows you to focus your time and energy on those projects that will grow your business.
Storing SOPs
Once you have an SOP written, it’s important that you store it in a place where you can find it easily. Google Drive or Dropbox are both great options. This will be your virtual office. Create a Folder titled All SOPs to house all your SOPs. Within this folder, you may have other folders for the different types of SOPs. You may have a marketing folder in which you house your SOPs for Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
As you build out your virtual office, think containers. How can you break your documents down as much as possible? In addition to your ALL SOPs folder, you may want to also want to consider folders for templates, master files (all things admin), and clients.
Don’t Delay! Get Started Today!
When you think about starting to set up and document your systems and processes, you may feel overwhelmed. Take it one step at a time. Break the down into small pieces. Set a goal to write one new SOP each week. As you accomplish your goals, be sure to reward yourself along the way.
To help you get started, head over to my resources page on my website, www.angieaskelsen.com, and grab my free SOP template.
Angie is a certified online business manager and lover of all types of organizations. She uses her experiences of starting and leading several non-profit organizations while also homeschooling her four daughters to ensure that her clients' businesses operate efficiently. When she's not managing her clients' teams or streamlining and automating their processes, you can find her enjoying time with her family, spending time outdoors, or baking in the kitchen.
Comments