“Systems run the business and people run the systems." Michael E. Gerber
What does it even look like to have your business operate like a “well-oiled machine”? It sounds like a nice idea, especially when you know, you would not classify your business as a “well-oiled machine”. But what does that “well-oil machine” look like? And how do you build it?
Systems. Your systems are your way of operating and are a group of interrelated elements organized to meet a specific set of goals in your business. They are made up of various, interdependent, step-by-step processes. Well defined systems will increase your efficiency, consistency, clarity, and control over your business. They also increase your freedom. A “well-oiled machine” comes down to creating well defined systems and using your systems as solutions, for everything. You rely on your systems, not your people. Your systems run your business and your people run your systems.
Establishing a set of systems through which the company operates gets you to a point where, regardless of the people in the positions or the challenge that comes up, you defer to your systems for the solutions, your outcomes become predictable and repeatable.
If you are like I was in the early stages of my business, you have exactly zero systems in place and have no idea even where to start. If this sounds like you, then read on to find the top three systems to put in place to bring you peace of mind in your business.
1. Where are the fires?
Does this cycle sound familiar?
Emergency
Panic
Identify the person best suited for the quickest fix and hope you can reach them
Short-term solution reached
Breathe a sigh of relief until the emergency shows up again and again and again…
Let me tell you, there is a better way! The best systems to implement first are the ones that make the biggest impact on your time and give you the most freedom.
To determine where to start, consider where you spend most of your time putting out fires. What are the most common emergencies that run your day, your life and your business?
When that emergency struck (the most recent time) and after you said to yourself “there has got to be a better way”, what did you wish you had in place that could have taken care of this…again? Was it a checklist, a process, a protocol, a person, all these things?
The best time to create that system is when the situation is still fresh – write it down, brainstorm how it could have worked better. What would have been nice to have in place? What was the solution? At least create a start so when you come back to it, you’re not struggling to remember what went wrong and what needs to be different.
2. What does not make you money?
The next systems to implement are ones that allow you to delegate the tasks you either don’t love to do or, that don’t make you money. Your time as the owner of your business is valuable, it is your most valuable resource, you can’t create it and you can’t get it back – use it wisely and be efficient.
What is it that you do that you love to do and makes you money? Do as much of that as you can. Now, what is it that you do, where you do not make money? Delegate that. Often owners spend unnecessary time fiddling around with things for hours that would take another person minutes to do.
Know what your strengths are and focus on those things. For everything else, have a system in place and let others implement the system. By having the system in place, you can trust that the task is being done as defined by the system that you helped to build.
3. What makes you money?
The next step to create systems that will bring you peace of mind is to focus on implementing systems for the tasks that make you money.
That’s right, when you implement systems for the tasks that make you money, you can multiply and scale your efforts and increase your income. You are no longer the only person that can do the tasks because having a system in place will allow other people to do the same thing, the same way, with the same results and that, is where money is to be made and where your business can thrive.
Are you ready for things to be different, to accept help from others that have been where you are, and successfully made it through to the other side? Are you about ready for some relief of the constant pressure? Wanting more time in your week so you can focus on your business and carve the path as to where you’re going? If this is you and you are ready, get in touch to schedule your free consultation by filling out our online needs assessment today at www.ThriveHQ.ca
