HOW TO BE
OUTRAGEOUSLY
SUCCESSFUL IN
SYSTEMS & PROCESSES
The best businesses have one
thing in common. Their systems
and processes are designed to
help them succeed efficiently,
cost effectively and in a way,
which complements the main
operations of the business, says
Marilyn Burton. Yet many
business owners do not take
the time to map and implement
systems and processes that not
only create value, but also build
future opportunities as their
systems and processes become
an asset that can be leveraged
to grow or sell their business.
S
ystems and processes allow
owners to automate and
delegate. Without a system they
don’t just own the business they
are the business, and by creating systems
and processes they can leverage their
time and start scaling their business
and building an asset.
Many business owners cringe when
they hear those two words systems and
processes, but they will be unknowingly
using a variety of processes albeit
undocumented and probably not
measured. And if something is unknown
and unmeasured its impact cannot be
clearly understood or used meaningfully.
In all its simplicity, Systems are “what”
you do to fulfil your business goals and
Processes are “how” you do it. Systems
will allow you to focus on the long- term
gains rather than the short- term results.
Your Systems need to align with your
Vision and Goals. So start with the
basics and build from there.
The 4 basic areas to Systemise are:
1.
MARKETING
what generates your leads or creates an
interest in your services or products.
2.
SALES
what turns your leads into
a paying customer?
3.
DELIVERY
what do you need to provide in
exchange for the money received?
This also extends to customer
service and customer support,
as well as quality control.
4.
ADMINISTRATION
managing pricing, invoicing, accounts,
cash forecasts, filing, records such as
stock on hand consumables etc.
Once you have your Systems, i.e. the
“what” done, you need to put in place
your Processes, which is the “how.”
So how should you go about doing
this? I suggest you use a wall or a
large whiteboard and post-it notes.
Write down whatever comes to mind
for that area, one idea per post-it
note. From that you can write up
your systems, then repeat the brain
dump for each System you’ve created
to create your processes required for
that system.
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Women’s Network Magazine