Does Your Business Run On Business Systems Like A Swiss Watch?

Can you leave your business for weeks at a time, and it runs profitably without you?

All too often owners tell me their business is less Swiss watch, more lumbering, stuttering jalopy. It goes well in short spurts, then grinds to a halt when it’s thrown a curve ball. It lacks good business systems.

What no systems costs you

The owner spends their time running from one crisis to the next. If that’s you, as a hard-working, passionate owner:

• You’re missing out on sales, revenue and profit
• You’re struggling to grow the business
• You’re doing rework at your own cost
• You believe you have staff problems
• You work far more hours than you should
• The quality of your product or service is declining, or erratic
• You’re dealing with unhappy customers and staff
• If you wanted to sell your business, it would be difficult

So what’s the answer?

Good business systems, policies and procedures are a BIG part of it.

“Oh no! Not that stuff! I don’t have time to do all that!”

Yes, it takes time. But look at that list again. What is it costing you in time, energy, stress and money NOT to have your systems running like a Swiss watch? And when you come to sell, you’ll have real problems if you haven’t systemised the business.

SYSTEMS is an acronym:

A business, or a job for life?

Ask yourself: “Am I building a business, or do I just have a job for life?”

Want a business? A profitable commercial enterprise that runs without you? Then invest time working ON the business. If you don’t make time to work ON it, you’ll always be working IN it. And that makes it very hard, or impossible, to sell.

Any business delivering a product or service CAN be systemised. The more systems you put in place, the more time you free up to work ON the business and grow it. Growth is limited without good systems.

You don’t need lots of systems at once. Build them over time, starting with the most critical things.

Where to start

1. Start with tasks that are frequent, repetitive and simple to do.
2. Tackle the areas of greatest pain!
3. Set up cross-functional teams to brainstorm the workflow. No team? Hire a coach!
4. Document your processes. These days that can be video, flowcharts and more.
5. Work the systems, and look for ways to improve them.
6. Adopt a culture of continuous, never-ending improvement.
7. START. It’s often the start that stops people.

You don’t have to do it alone

In a Business Owners Taking Action (BOTA) group, you get help to work on your business and your systems, and start freeing up your time to work ON growing it. Groups meet monthly, face to face or online.

I created the BOTA group process in 2008, as an effective, affordable, results-oriented process for small business owners. There are no competing businesses in a group, so members explore ideas openly and honestly. They’re challenged and kept accountable for growing their business. Expert speakers and members contribute ideas to help everyone. I also offer private one-to-one mentoring.

Read more about BOTA groups.