We’ve all experienced overwhelm, burnout, and feeling flustered in our day-to-day business operations… feeling like you’re winging it with each passing day, with no sense of structure or organization. This is almost always due to a lack of proper business systems.
Business Systems
So, what are business systems? Business systems are a set of processes that work together to create a business outcome. Systems are essentially the way that things are done in your business, and they provide the framework for how your business operates.
Benefits of Having Effective Business Systems
Having effective systems and processes in place can provide several benefits to your business. It can:
- Create predictability and consistency
- Bring clarity
- Afford the ability to scale as it makes success repeatable
- Give a sense of control
- Provide focus as it guides priorities
- Save you time
- Save you money
- Increase sales
- Provide better customer satisfaction
- Generate accountability
The list of benefits can go on and on. But by now I’m sure you would have realized how important it is for the success of your business – and your sanity – to set up effective business systems and processes. Now you may be wondering: “what kind of systems does my business need to have?”
Well, we’re glad you asked. Because we’d like to share with you six (6) must-have systems you need to implement today, for the efficiency and success of your business:
Marketing system
- Marketing is the activity that serves to generate leads for your business. When these actions are combined, they become your marketing system. Having a marketing system in place is essential for having a repeatable way to generate leads, increase visibility and scale your business.
- Examples of marketing processes can include social media ads, social media posting (organic), email marketing, website & SEO, and more.
Sales system
- A sales system is the set of actions that focuses on converting the leads that came in through your marketing system. This allows you to generate a consistent flow of income, helping your business to grow and thrive. Without a way to close the lead, your business can suffer.
- Some examples of this can include discovery calls or consultations, webinars/workshops, follow-ups with potential clients, providing client support (for repeat clients), etc.
Business Operations system
- This is also known as your Delivery or Client Fulfillment System. It includes the set of processes in place for how you deliver your services to the client. The objective is to deliver high-quality service, consistently – the keyword here is “consistently”.
- How do you deliver your client sessions? From the moment they reach out to you, to the moment the session ends, and the in-between from when they leave to when they return. Examples of these kinds of processes include customer service, onboarding, client nurturing, project & task management.
Administration system
- Administrative systems refer to the set of procedures that run your day-to-day business and keep it organized. Those procedures should be understood and followed by all staff members to ensure the smooth functioning of your organization.
- For example, filing and record-keeping, office correspondence, visitor and phone call management, internal communication, billing and claims, and any other administrative duties.
Accounting system
- The cash flow/finance system is an essential business system, as it manages all money coming in and out of your business. It also manages the allocation of your business’s finances. Without proper money management, your business will be unable to grow and become successful.
- You can hire accountants, virtual assistants, or hire someone to set up accounting software. Either way, these options will help you to track how your business progresses, your expenses, ensure you pay your taxes on time, and much more.
People Management System
- Your team can be one of your business’s biggest assets. This system involves the management of internal team members (employees), external team members (virtual assistants), and your clientele.
- This system assists in processes including recruitment and training of team members, onboarding for clients, and more. The focus of these processes is to hire the right people for the job, as well as to onboard the right clients for you.
Conclusion
Running a smooth-flowing business is by no means an easy task. Having to think about business systems when all you want to focus on are your clients and attending to their needs can be difficult.
There are many more business systems that exist, but this article serves to share the ones we think are mandatory for the success of any business. Use this as a checklist to identify what systems you currently have in place and what you do not. The next step would be working on a strategy to fill in the gaps and put any missing systems in place.
And of course, the team at Efficient and Free is always here to help you take your next steps to efficiency in your business!