Why Systematising Your Business Will Help You Scale in the Long Run
At Elements Online Business Management, I understand when you start your business, it’s you who’s in the driving seat. You’re the one coming up with the ideas, creating products, sending emails, sorting invoices and briefing team members. This can be exciting and rewarding, but at the same time, there comes a point where it’s not sustainable if you want to grow your company.
This is where systemising your business comes in – you can create a set of instructions for a task which can be followed by anyone, not just you. Far from writing yourself out, you’re making space to seamlessly bring others in, ensuring that the same values, quality and products remain, with you overseeing the business from a big-picture perspective.
Perhaps you’re struggling to meet demand, you want to get some time back, or you’re looking at outsourcing part of your business to get some specialist support. No matter the reason, read on to find out why systemising your business will help you scale in the long run.
You Can’t Be In All Places At Once
It’s hard to hand tasks over to other people, I get that, but it’s also impossible for you to be everywhere at once. As your business grows and you take on your first team members, there will come a point where it’s no longer sensible for them to need your approval for every decision.
Whilst that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be informed, or have sign-off on significant changes, you’ll need to decide what decisions you can trust your team to make on your behalf so you can focus on the strategic vision for your business. By systemising these tasks, you can ensure that the decisions that are made follow the same thought process you would.
As the founder, you’re likely to be the busiest member of the company. By simplifying, strategising, and systematising operations, you give your team the freedom and support to try and find the answer themselves first, filtering off everyday queries and saving your time for high-level business decisions that only you can make.
Ensure Progress Doesn’t Stop When You Take A Break
The first few years of starting a business are busy, and it can feel like there’s no time to take a break. But that’s not sustainable – the best ideas often come from a rested brain, and it’s important that you look after your mental and physical health. Otherwise, you’re likely to suffer from burnout, and if you’re the only team member, this means your business will stop.
Systemising your business should enable you to take time off when you need it, whether that’s because you’re not feeling 100%, or because you want to jet off somewhere exotic.
Part of being a good leader is trusting your team; no one wants to be micromanaged. Processes allow you to step back and enjoy your break, giving your team the freedom to step up.
Growing Your Team
Part of scaling your business is growing your team. There are only so many hours in the day, and you have a limited amount of energy, meaning that at some point, you’ll have to take on team members if you want to continue to increase capacity.
At first, you’ll likely play a large part in onboarding your new team members, explaining the tasks that they’ll be taking on and sharing your vision for the company. However, this won’t be feasible at some point and this is where an Online Business Manager can help. The OBM can implement systems and strategies to streamline the hiring and onboarding process. Creating an onboarding process allows each of your new team members to get the same experience, but without you needing to be involved every step of the way. Not only does this give you time back, but it also means new hires are able to start at any time of year, rather than having to avoid periods where you’re busy or away.
Ensuring A Consistent Service
Everyone makes mistakes; it’s part of being human. We all have off days where our personal lives affect our workflow. There’s nothing wrong with this, but understandably, these errors can affect how your clients perceive you.
For example, imagine a new client signs up for your services but doesn’t receive a confirmation or welcome email because these are manually processed. This oversight might discourage them from future purchases. By introducing systems and automation, you ensure your clients receive regular and consistent communications. First impressions are crucial, and as your business grows, manual processes increase the risk of errors. Systemising and automating simple communications not only provides a sense of reliability for your customers but also supports your business growth.
In the long run, it means that the customers will associate your brand with consistency, increasing your chances of building a long-term relationship with them in the future. Satisfied clients are more likely to recommend your services, which can be essential for organic growth.
Unlock your potential
When you systematise your business, you create consistency and efficiency. Systemising your business is essential to allow you to take a step up.
As your business grows, you’ll need to transition away from being directly involved in every decision; instead stepping into the role of a CEO who can shape the vision and direction you want your company to take.
Creating strong processes means you can do this without worrying that standards will slip – paving the way for your future success.
If you’re looking for more tips on systematising your business or want to learn more about working with Elements Online Business Management, get in touch to book a virtual coffee and catch up!
