Business Systems Aren"t Glitzy, But Sure Are Profitable
Say the word systems to most owners or professionals, and it's usually met with an ugh or similar reaction.
But if you want to deliver consistently on your promise to customers and put more profit on the bottom line with less effort, you need to learn to love systems! Maybe the first step is to think of systems as a process or a 'step by step' approach to how you do things.
Many small businesses have nothing that documents how they do what they do.
As a result, there is little consistency from one activity to another - unless of course, the owner does it all.
To make matters worse, it makes delegating, hiring and training new people difficult and far less effective.
When we talk about systems, most people acknowledge that McDonald's is probably the best in this area.
McDonalds is so successful not because they make the best products (hardly!), but because they continuously build systems to run their business - without the owner being there.
From how they prepare a hamburger, to what they say to customers when they arrive at the counter, they have a documented system so it is easy for anyone to do the tasks - and do it consistently every time.
Have you ever visited a McDonald's and not been asked if you want fries with your burger or if you want to upsize your order? So why do so many small businesses ignore this area? Many assume that only big businesses or franchises need them.
They'll say things like, 'We're small, we talk to each other, and we all know what needs to be done'.
And maybe this is true when you first get started and it's just you or maybe your spouse.
But what happens when you grow and suddenly you are serving more customers, or bringing in new staff? What happens when people leave and take the knowledge with them? What happens when you want to outsource work you currently do? What happens when you, as the owner, want to go away for two weeks with your family? If you want a business that provides consistent quality and performance in all areas of the business - customer service, marketing, sales, delivery, billing and collections -- whether you are there or not, then make systems and procedures a priority in your business.
If you are ready to start putting systems to work in your business, check out my article, Build Profit & Efficiency - 10 Steps to Create Systems in Your Business, to help you get started.
But if you want to deliver consistently on your promise to customers and put more profit on the bottom line with less effort, you need to learn to love systems! Maybe the first step is to think of systems as a process or a 'step by step' approach to how you do things.
Many small businesses have nothing that documents how they do what they do.
As a result, there is little consistency from one activity to another - unless of course, the owner does it all.
To make matters worse, it makes delegating, hiring and training new people difficult and far less effective.
When we talk about systems, most people acknowledge that McDonald's is probably the best in this area.
McDonalds is so successful not because they make the best products (hardly!), but because they continuously build systems to run their business - without the owner being there.
From how they prepare a hamburger, to what they say to customers when they arrive at the counter, they have a documented system so it is easy for anyone to do the tasks - and do it consistently every time.
Have you ever visited a McDonald's and not been asked if you want fries with your burger or if you want to upsize your order? So why do so many small businesses ignore this area? Many assume that only big businesses or franchises need them.
They'll say things like, 'We're small, we talk to each other, and we all know what needs to be done'.
And maybe this is true when you first get started and it's just you or maybe your spouse.
But what happens when you grow and suddenly you are serving more customers, or bringing in new staff? What happens when people leave and take the knowledge with them? What happens when you want to outsource work you currently do? What happens when you, as the owner, want to go away for two weeks with your family? If you want a business that provides consistent quality and performance in all areas of the business - customer service, marketing, sales, delivery, billing and collections -- whether you are there or not, then make systems and procedures a priority in your business.
If you are ready to start putting systems to work in your business, check out my article, Build Profit & Efficiency - 10 Steps to Create Systems in Your Business, to help you get started.
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