One of the most overlooked aspects of running a successful business is the business system.
What is a Business System?
A business system is nothing more than documented processes and procedures that allow your business to run without you. One of the most successful companies that utilize systems is McDonald’s. They have managed to run a successful and profitable business for more than 60 years because of the fantastic business systems that were put in place. Their operations manual covers everything from hiring to product delivery to customer interaction.
Why You Need Systems in Your Business – Unfortunately, many small business owners are caught in a catch 22. They have no time to work on their business because they are too busy working in their business. They can’t take time away from their business because they haven’t taken the time to develop documented systems and processes. Along with saving you time, there are many benefits of implementing policies in your business.
Lower Labor Costs – Putting documented systems in place will help to improve efficiency in your business. Doing so results in a reduction in your labor costs. When an employee leaves, they may be the only one knowledgeable of how to perform their required job functions. Without documented systems and processes, you run the risk of losing knowledge and valuable company resources.
Improves Consistency – Having documented systems and processes in place ensures your employees are working with the same information as everyone else. They don’t have to rely on their perception of how a process should operate. Systemization also prevents them from working with the instructions that are outdated, which could lead to costly errors.
Enables Scalability – Implementing systems in your business provides you the ability to expand. Systems and documented processes allow you to replicate your business in different geographic areas for yourself or through franchising or licensing the rights to your business.
Build a Valuable Asset – The day may come when you’ll be ready to sell your business. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to sell it for a nice profit? Without documented processes and systems in place, this can be extremely difficult to accomplish. Putting systems in place will help you build a valuable asset because they allow the company to continue to run without you. A lack of business systems can not only hurt the daily operations of your business, but it can make it extremely difficult to sell when the time comes.
Creating business systems is a great way to build uniformity and consistency in your business. When your systems are in place, everyone knows how to better perform their job. When there’s turnover (and there will be turnover), the person stepping into the vacant spot will know exactly what is expected of them and how to do their job efficiently and effectively.
Start systemizing your business today so you can reap all the rewards in the future. We’d love to be part of your systemization plans. Complete the form below to get a free 1/2 hour Plan of Action Consultation. We will discuss your plans and see how we can help you achieve your goals.
