How To Implement Systems That Will Simplify Your Life

[johnthesearcher]

and enable your business to operate without you ..........

Imagine this scenario.................

It’s 09.00am on a Monday morning and you pick up the phone and call your office and say “Hi, it’s me. I’m taking a few weeks off to travel and attend some business meetings. Look after things for me” and hang up.

If you had the right systems in place could you do that?

I would argue that we don’t have to spend a lot of money to build better business systems. However we do need to put in place a method by which the least professional amongst the professionals, the least experienced amongst the experienced can be given a system which will leverage them to produce the results we seek to achieve over and over again.

The answer is simply to give those ordinary people - extraordinary tools (SYSTEMS) with which to work and those tools need to be developed no matter what we do or the true assets of the business (the people) walk
out of the door every day.........leaving it empty of capability, empty of commitment.

It has, been suggested that the intellectual assets of any business, are the systems we develop to allow us the predictable results every single time, no matter what activity we are engaged in and if we can drive that technology down and put it within the reach of ordinary people we literally guarantee ourselves, our business partners and our Clients............ more opportunity and more chance of success.

We are all aware that running a business can be stressful, especially if we're like most business owners: We want/need to have a hand in everything that goes on in the business because we want to make sure everything is done right.

Most seasoned entrepreneurs eventually realize that the long work hours and constant threat of burnout require a change. The key is to implement systems - that allow your business to operate without you physically being there.

It's obvious that the more talented you are, the more creative you are, the more confident you are, the more ambitious you are etc then it is more likely that you will feel that your life is starting to get out of control, that you will start to operate in an inefficient and unproductive way.

One of the biggest mistakes we often make is to volunteer for so many unconnected things ... we say well....... I can do that, then I can do this and once I'm finished that I'll come and help you then before we know where we are we start to get under pressure to do the things which we would have finished before our latest round of 'volunteering to help' was over.

The mnemonic for the word SYSTEM is .... Save Yourself SomeTime Effort and Money.

Something we all want .....right?

#1 Make a list of your priorities

Look at the most effective use of your time by asking yourself 'what one or two things - if I could do them today - would have the biggest impact on my business?'.

Chances are you often find yourself so wrapped up in the actual running of your business that you have little or no time to focus on other key aspects of your business, such as seeking out growth opportunities, networking, or building relationships with your clients.

Once you've made a list of your priorities, you know the most important things on which you want to focus, allowing you to leave the less important or low impact other tasks to your employees or outsource to others,
leaving you free to FOCUS solely on the high impact, high yield activities.

#2 Be prepared to delegate or outsource responsibilities.

For many small business owners, handing over the everyday responsibilities to employees our outsourcing tasks can be a challenge. But, it's essential if you want your business to run without you and if you want time to concentrate on other aspects of your business. You must learn how to delegate responsibilities and trust that your employees/others will do as good a job as you would do.

#3 Create replicatable systems

Systems are going to allow you to have a more hands-off approach to the everyday happenings of your business. Everyone in your business should have a role in creating systems. For example, if you have a payroll
department, even if it consists of only one person, you're going to create a system that allows the payroll department to run smoothly even if you're not around.

Have the payroll manager sit down and write a list of all the processes that occur each day to ensure the payroll department runs smoothly. That way, if she isn't around, someone can come in, read the payroll department's procedures and do the job in her place.

#4 Create a step by step simplified procedure manual

A procedure manual is essential to ensuring that your business runs smoothly when you're not around. Take all of the processes that were created by you or your employees and compile them into a comprehensive procedure manual that lists every procedure and process that is followed to ensure your business runs smoothly. A stranger should be able to come into your business, read your procedure manual, and know what needs to be done to run the business.

#5 Train people to work in other positions

As a business owner, you can and probably have worked in every role in your business. While it's important for you to be able to step in when needed, it's just as important that you cross train your employees, so they are able to step into other roles if and when needed.

#6 Be patient and appreciate that it takes time

Systemizing your business so it can run when you're not around is a process. It's not going to happen overnight, so be prepared to take the time that is needed now so that your business will eventually be able to operate without you there.

John

Quote for the day: "Management and Personnel work IN the system, whilst leaders work ON the system".