Does it run on business systems or lurch from crisis to crisis?
Can you leave your business for weeks at a time and it runs 'profitably' without you?
James Clear in his book Atomic Habits says "You don't rise to the level of your goals, you fall to the level of your systems." (Sidebar: If you haven't read Atomic Habits I highly recommend you get a copy SEE HERE). All too often I hear from business owners that rather than running like a swiss watch their business is a bit of a lumbering, stuttering jalopy. Goes well in short spurts but then grinds to a halt when hit with a curved ball. It lacks good business systems.
Often the business owner spends his time running from one crisis to another. The result is that as a hard working and passionate business owner, tradesperson or practitioner;
- You are missing out on sales, revenue and profit
- You are struggling to grow the business
- You are having to do re-work at your cost
- You believe you have staff problems
- You work far more hours than you should
- Quality of product or service is declining or erratic
- You are having to deal with unhappy customers / staff
- If you wanted to sell your business (practice, trade), it would be difficult
So what's the answer you ask?
Good business systems, policies, and procedures are a large part of the answer!
"Oh no! Not that stuff!" you reply "I don't have time to do all that!"
Yes, it does take time but look at the bullet points again! What is it costing you in time, energy, stress and money by not having your business systems running like a Swiss watch and getting all your ducks lined up. When you come to sell your business you will have real problems if you haven't systemised the business. Systems is an acronym;
Save 
Your Self Time Energy Money Stress
The question to ask yourself is "Am I building a business or do I just have a job for life?"
If you want to build a business - a profitable commercial enterprise that will run without you being there - then you have to invest the time ON the business.
If you don't make time to work ON the business then you will always be working IN the business. That makes it very difficult, or impossible to sell.
Do you have a business or a practice. A practice runs on an expert while a business runs on business systems.
Any practice or trade delivering a product or service CAN be systemised. The more business systems and processes you implement the more time you save to reinvest in working ON the business and growing it. Growth will be limited without good systems. You don't have to implement lots of systems and you can do it over a period of time. Start with the most critical things.
So where do you start?
- Start with tasks that are frequent, repetitive and simple to do
- Address the areas of greatest pain!
- Set up "cross functional teams" to brainstorm the workflow (if you don't have a team, hire coach!)
- Document processes. These days it can be video, flowcharts etc.
- Work the systems and look for ways to improve
- Adopt a culture of continuous and never ending improvement
- START - it is often the start that stops people
As a member of a Business Owners Taking Action (BOTA) Group (online and face to face available) you get help to work on your business and systems and start to free up your time to work more ON growing the business. BOTA groups meet monthly face to face or online.
The Group Process was created by me, John Denton, in 2008 as an effective, affordable, and results-oriented process for small business owners. I offer different levels of membership, both face to face and online, as well as private one to one mentoring.
In BOTA Groups there are no competing businesses so members can explore and work on ideas openly and honestly. Members are challenged and kept accountable for growing their business. Expert speakers and members contribute ideas and work on issues to help everyone. READ MORE about BOTA Groups or "Schedule a call" with me. Click a button below to start taking ACTION.