Apps are not the answer when it comes to systemising your business. Check out this article from Laura or Systems Goddess and Operations Manager for TCMB.
One of the most common mistakes I see when people start to systemise their business is they think its all about the apps. But the key to successful systemising is to understand your business and map out processes BEFORE you find the right tech solutions to suit your needs.
You do not want to be implementing tech for tech’s sake, and you really don’t want to be retrofitting a process into your business because of an ill fitting application.
So how do you do it well?
Step 1 – Understand your business
So many of my clients have everything in their head. So much happens on autopilot they don’t even know what they do, and how and when they do it. The first step to successfully systemising your business is getting all of that out of your head, and really truly understanding goes on in your business.
*What are your regular business tasks (weekly, monthly, quarterly)?
*Why are you doing these things?
*What is working well for you?
*What is not working well at the moment?
Then assess what apps you already have in your business.
*Are they meeting your business needs?
*Are you making full use of the capabilities?
Step 2 – Design your ideal future state
Once you understand how all the pieces of your business fit together, you can start to design how you want it to work.
Start with the big picture
How do you want to work?
How do you want to serve your clients?
How do you want to show up in your business?
What do you want to be doing?
And what do you want to outsource?
What do you want to do better or different?
Then drill down and design your processes. Sometimes it can be useful to reverse engineer it.
What triggers the process?
What needs to happen and when?
How is it going to be done, and by who?
What are the outcomes?
What apps do you have / need to support the process?
Document!!!!!!
Step 3 – Implement
Now you know how you want your business to run, you can implement.
Create a central repository for your documented processes. I recommend using Asana to track your tasks, assign them to your team, and add links to any videos or procedure guides. This way whoever is doing the task knows exactly what is expected of them and how to do it properly.
Implement the tech solutions that best suit your business needs. I know it can be hard to find something that does everything you need for a reasonable price, so you may need to make some concessions. There are a number of tools out there that work really well for online business owners like us, its just about finding which one best suits your needs.
Bonus step – Review and Improve
Once things are in place give it some time to bed down. And then circle back and review things from time to time.
Can you make any improvements?
Has your business changed?
Have you tweaked your processes and updated your documentation?
Ongoing review of your systems creates long term stability for your business success.
If you want ot avoid the apps and system overwhelm, get help from our expert as part of your bespoke coaching package with This Chick Means Business. To discuss your individual needs, book in for a free call here: http://bit.ly/LetsTalkBizGoals