““Systems run businesses. People run systems.”

A system is a set of processes that when done together always achieves the same result no matter how many times you do it. 

Whether you are a one-person or a hundred person business, you need systems to make your business run smoother. Here are 10 areas in your business that needs systems. 

#1 Structure 

This is your overall view of your company. Business systems are like a car dashboard. When you are driving, you can look quickly see how much gas is in the car or see how fast you’re going. You want to have some kind of dashboard where all these systems can be monitored with key performance indicators that will help you see what systems are effective and what ones need your attention.

Some of the different types of structural systems include team makeup, vendors, the overall health of the business, the overall health of the owner, pipeline, strategies, programs, and time efficiency. Remember time is so precious. You want to really make sure that everything you’re doing is moving towards the direction you want to go. 

#2 Vision 

Where is your company going? Where do you want your company to be three years from now? With vision it is important to think about your destination, services, products, planning, preplanning, and time management techniques. Make sure your goals are in these systems so you can see where you are along the journey.

#3 Marketing 

Some areas where you can implement a system include the marketing plan, social media, email marketing, Website/SEO, funnels, and networking process.

Networking is just not going to meeting people and that’s it. Make sure you have a system. Time is a precious thing, do not schedule networking meetings just for the sake of meeting. Ask yourself will this meeting be beneficial for my business. The best meetings are when they are mutually beneficial for both parties. Guard your time.

#4 Sales 

Just like marketing, there are so many potential systems in this area. You’ve got the sales process, sales funnel, sales stats, closing rates, landing the sale process, and post-sale process.

#5 Audience 

It is essential for your business that you understand who your audience is and what are their characteristics. You can place a system in the areas of product/ service feedback, tracking audience habits & recording results, and analyzing results & follow up.

Feedback from your audience allows you to learn what your customers like and what they still want from your business. It is important to have a system where you learn about your audience so you can better strive to meet there needs.

#6 Product or Service creation 

Especially if you don’t have enough time in the day, make sure you have systems in this area. This allows you to focus your attention on growing your business not just worrying about the day to day operations.

You can create a workflow process, the lifecycle of each project, documentation, checks & balances, and feedback & adjustments. 

#7 Clients 

There are so many areas where systems can be implemented when dealing with your clients including: the entire client experience, paperwork, framework meetings, manage client expectations, follow up process, client feedback, testimonials, referrals, and retention.

When you onboard a client, does the client know exactly what are the expectations of both what you will deliver and what they need to be responsible for? If this is not done properly, this is a source of headaches and miss-communication. Save the time and aggravation by making sure you have a solid system in place in this area. I like to call this ‘setting up the playpen’.

Your business relies on your clients, so you need to make sure every client has a fantastic experience. If your clients have a great experience, they will be more willing to be a repeat client of yours AND be more willing to give a glowing review of your business. Returning clients are easier to get than always trying to find new clients and the more good reviews your business has, the more likely a new client will choose your business. 

# 8 Team

Another experience that has the same importance as your customer experience is your employee experience. It is important that your team enjoys working for your company. Some systems that can help you accomplish this includes meetings, team member roles, team environment/guidelines, documentation, check-in/check-out process for each project, and team building.

#9 Communication

Just like any relationship, communication is key, and it’s important that the communication is constant. Some areas that need communication systems include your team, client, customer service, and client contract schedules. 

#10 Finances 

This one is usually a pain point for a lot of businesses. Some areas for systems in finance include: accounts receivable, accounts payable, tracking everything, invoicing, and reporting. All the data is needed to make sure that your business is running smoothly and systems are huge in this area.

So as you can see, there’s plenty of different areas that you can make systems. Most of these are software packages while others collect data using spreadsheets. Make sure you have a way of taking your KPIs from several systems to make 1 dashboard. This gives you the best control of your business systems. Imagine only having one user id and password to get a birds eye view of your business.

So which systems will you do first? Look at those 10 areas. Find out which area is causing the most pain for your business and go after that area and create systems. If you need any help, let me know.