Business success is all about taking action and last week I said there were three steps required to achieve this. Step one was setting goals; step two was developing business systems and step three understanding marketing basics.
Last weeks blog was about setting goals and if you didn’t read it I suggest you check it out, so now we’re onto part two: Developing Business Systems.
What Needs A System?
The simple answer is everything and everyone needs to know how to follow the your systems.
If a process seems really simple and obvious, you should still write a system for it. In my workshops I often use making a cup of coffee as the perfect example of a simple process that can go wrong in so many ways. So the simpler the system, the more open it is to interpretation and therefore the more errors can occur.
Systems Eliminate Guessing
When someone enters your business how would you like him or her greeted? If the telephone rings, do you want it answered within a certain number of rings? When the phone is answered, what would you like your team to say?
If you don’t have systems in place for your team to follow your team will make them up. Have you ever been greeted poorly, or not greeted at all when you’ve entered a business? How did it make you feel? Have you ever called a business and hung up because they took too long to answer? I know I have.
And when they phone is answered, have you ever been called mate, darling or some other odd name? I’m sorry, but I’m sure I said my name was Tyson, I didn’t say it was mate or darling.
Do Systems Work?
If you’re unsure about the power of systems, look at McDonalds. It’s a billion dollar business run by kids, but because there’s a system behind every process, it works seamlessly. If you have time watch the movie The Founder.
System Choice
Twenty years ago all systems where written, printed and stored in folders, but today the choice is yours Systems can still be written, include photos and incorporate videos and audio files, stored locally or in the cloud, so they can be accessed from anywhere.
Systems are often overlooked as being an integral part of business success, so if you haven’t started developing systems, or you’re not sure where to start, please email me, and I’ll send you a PDF outlining my top seven systems I think you need to develop first.