Systems.  Many of us have a love/hate relationship with them and often they are about as interesting as watching paint dry!  So, why have systems in your business? 

The short answer is that without systems, your business cannot be a well-oiled machine that provides excellent customer service and runs smoothly…WITHOUT YOU.

Let’s explore how having systems in place can improve your business.

Grow a team you can trust

One of the main reasons why you should have systems in your business is to ensure you have a team you can trust.  When I first start business coaching my clients, some common things I hear are:

• “Nobody can do it like I do”
• “I can’t trust my staff to do it right”
• “It’s impossible to get good employees these days”

Whilst hiring the right people is half the battle (and something I can help with as a business coach), the other half is about having thorough, well-written systems in place for training and day to day operations. 

It’s not enough to tell or show them once and expect them to interpret your words or actions exactly the way you do.

A well-written step-by-step document detailing the process for each task may take a little time to set up initially, but the beauty is that once it’s done, it takes you out of the equation.  Team members can refer to the documents as much as they need to, and nothing is left up to interpretation.  You can even use videos in conjunction with the documents which will cater to those who are more visual or auditory in the way they process information.  If you want your employees to do it your way you need to ensure they are given the information they need, in the way that they need to receive it in order to complete the task to your standard.

Wow your customers with excellent customer service

Customer Service is another reason why you should have systems in your business.  We all like to think we offer great customer service but the truth is there is usually some room for improvement.  So how can systems improve your customer service?

• Create consistency – customers know what to expect every time
• Increased speed and efficiency
• More convenience for the customer
• Pre-empt customer needs
• Receive valuable feedback that can be used to enhance customer journey/experience
• Increased sales through upselling or cross-selling – customers get everything they need
• More engagement
• Personalised service

There are a huge number of computer systems that can automate interactions with your customers to free up your time so you can work ON the business rather than IN it.  As a business coach, I can help you identify tasks that can be systemised to improve customer service.

Automate and streamline with computer systems

Like it or loathe it, technology within business is here to stay and if you don’t adopt it, your competitors will leave you for dust.  So, what kind of tasks can computer systems help to automate or streamline? 

• Lead generation
• Email nurture campaigns
• Requesting reviews and referrals
• Customer appointment bookings and reminders
• Training employees
• Selling products
• Collecting customer details or data
• Project Management
• Communications with your team
• Collecting payments from customers
• Accounting and Bookkeeping
• Sharing documents and information
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Collaboration
• Timesheets and payroll
• Social Media
• Customer support
• Workflows
• Job Applications

This is by no means an exhaustive list and not all of these will work for every business but the more than you can automate and remove yourself from the process, the more available time you will have to focus on growing your business. 

It also allows your employees to focus on the tasks that can’t be automated making them more effective and efficient.

Communication is Key

Whether it’s employees, customers, collaborators or suppliers, it’s important to have systems in your business regarding communication.  One thing I see with a lot of my business coaching clients is that they spend a lot of time responding to phone calls and emails.  What if you could cut down the time spent communicating?  Read my Top 3 Tips to create more time in your business for some great ideas on systems you can implement in your business to free up some time in this area. 

On top of that, there are many software options that will dramatically reduce the need for people to email or call you.  Some of these systems have free versions that may suit your business.  I’d be happy to make some recommendations for you if you are serious about streamlining your communication systems.

Conclusion

By now you should have a clear idea of why to have systems in your business.

Stephen Covey said, “Your systems are perfectly designed to get the results that you are getting”.  I would take that one step further and suggest that when you add automation into the mix, you can create even better results than what you are getting.

To create that well-oiled machine that works for you, it’s imperative that you create systems within your business that don’t require you to be involved.  Create systems you can trust so you can leverage your time for maximum growth.

If this all seems overwhelming or you aren’t sure where to start, Book a FREE Discovery Call with me so we can identify areas of opportunity.