Over the last year I have created a growing business working both online and offline. It is a joy to me to step into my study each morning and settle down to work. This wasn’t always the case, though. In my earlier efforts I was chaotic, hurried, and short-tempered.
Learning a systems based approach has helped me to find some peace in the work environment. It means I know what’s coming most of the time. It means I’m ready and able to handle what comes my way. Most of all, it means I have more time to spend with the people I love.
Do you wish you had more spare time? Do you long for a working day that’s not fraught with problems and dilemmas? Maybe you need to move to a more systems-based approach too. After all, you’re an entrepreneur, not a fire-fighter. Why would you want to spend all your time and energy doing things over that could have been done just once?
Systems lead to your business running more smoothly – like the ‘well-oiled machine’ you dreamed of when you first planned things out. You can learn to operate as efficiently as the big guys – which makes you more competitive in the marketplace.
Using a systems based approach has three main benefits:
- It gives you a clearer idea of what’s going on, what your strengths and weaknesses are, and what you can do about it. You also get to the real issues faster and have solid foundations to build on. For example, I now have a system of guest blogging that helps me know who to contact, what to offer them, and how to create a post, without any extra work on my part.
- Your staff are happier in their work. They know what’s expected of them. They are empowered by being given the right tools for the job. Systems also provide open and clear channels of communication between you and your team, and between your team and your clients. For example, my husband works for my business. Instead of having ad-hoc dialogues about what’s happening, we now have a weekly meeting to discuss all aspects of the business and raise our thoughts and ideas.
- The way a systems approach streamlines your work means that you have **more time on your hands **to spend on doing the things you love. Using systems, you learn to delegate to responsible, named people such as a sales manager, an accountant or your PA. Finally, you can mostly predict what’s coming so you can plan your time more productively and profitably. For example, now that I have written down the process of completing each aspect of my writing work, I can save time procrastinating or trying to figure out what to do. This gives me more leisure time to spend with my husband or doing things I like to do.
Let’s face it, as small business owners, we go through a lot to make our businesses work. I know, I certainly made lots of mistakes before I learned the systems method. If you want to learn more about systems and how to make them work for you, I recommend you take a look at Sam Carpenter‘s book **“Work the System”. It’s a really accessible guide to how to manage your business from the roots up.
If you have any comments or queries, feel free to get in touch. You can find me at www.wilsonsakka.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/@tlewilson Good luck!