Owning your own business is as rewarding as it is exhausting- Why else would we do it, right? But how many of us agree that we need to work smarter not harder? It can get to the point where your business is running you not the other way around. That out of control feeling when you don’t know which job to start first, and there are about 10million tasks overdue and waiting to be attended to. (You may have that brick in your stomach feeling just reading this- sorry.)
Imagine your business grows by 20 per cent. You are suddenly taken ill for a month and have had no contact with your business. In what condition would you find your business? Business owners who can cope with growth in their business have learned to systemise their business. Without systemizing your business, it is difficult for it to grow without you drowning in the resulting growth. Fortunately, there are a few great steps you can take to ensure your business can grow without costing you your mental health!
Create a checklist of jobs to complete: So simple.Take the time and write down every task that is performed on a daily and weekly basis. Generally, if your name is on more than 80% of the jobs, you need to begin systemizing.
Create a simple operations manual: Operations manuals are so useful for outlining exactly who is responsible for what job in your business. Go through it with your staff and anyone you employ. You can always refer back to it if people aren’t on your ‘page.’
Outsource: Divide the jobs in your business into ‘money making’ tasks and ‘admin’ tasks. Most ‘admin’ tasks can be outsourced and cost way less than employing another person. VA’s (Virtual Assistants) are an amazing & popular option worth having a look at.
Make your website generate leads & business: Get your business online with a user friendly website. Ensure you customers are contacting you via a central database , not via emails. Your website’s job is to encourage visitors to return to your website and to subscribe to your business, in so doing, generating leads for email marketing.
A few simple things can ensure you work smarter not harder. When your business is more systemised, your staff will work more efficiently, and hopefully you will be able to relax more. My hope is that you will always be working on your business but not always IN it!