In last week’s blog, I shared how systems are the business equivalent of a baking recipe.  They are the difference between a business that rises and one that sinks, enabling us to achieve the best outcome in the most effective way. 

Here’s a list of 7 essential systems you need in your business.  

1. Marketing and lead generation

Regardless of where your work comes from, we all need a system for generating more of it! Whether it’s content creation for content marketing or meeting new people to build a referral network, having a system in place means you’re more likely to succeed.  

2. New enquiries, quotes and proposals

While all your systems are important, this is one of the most important ones. If customers aren’t treated with the level of service they expect before they engage you, what are the chances of them signing up to your services? 

Consider: Who receives new business enquiries? What is your system for making sure they’re dealt with promptly? Do you have a booking system? What about a system to ensure that quotes and proposals are sent out promptly? Are the proposals followed up? When? Who by? 

3. Service delivery  

Every service you sell should be driven by a system for service delivery.  Develop workflows and processes that guide staff through the process of delivering a service. Those same systems will help you to deliver a seamless service experience for your customers.  

4. Billing  

Having a system around billing will help you to better manage your cashflow. What is your payment policy? Who is responsible for rendering bills and at what frequency? Whose job is it to follow up payment? How do you handle unpaid bills? 

5. Staff recruitment  

Whether you handle recruitment internally or engage an agent, you’ll still need a system to help you through the process. From writing and publishing a job ad to reviewing applications, interviewing and making an offer. All these steps can be boiled down to a simple system, ridding you of the headache of finding and hiring new staff.   

6. Knowledge management 

Although we’re a profession steeped in precedent, we’re far more likely to move on to the next piece of billable work than we are to take the time to record and store our knowledge so we can use it again. Unfortunately, our brains are not as reliable as we think, and that case that you think you’ll never forget, will soon be buried deep underneath hundreds more. 

What’s your system for storing those clever strategies you develop, research you undertake or secret loopholes you discover?    

7. Improvement system 

It’s one thing to develop good systems, but great systems are ones that are constantly adapted and improved in response to customer feedback and business changes. So what’s your system for ensuring consistent improvement in your business? 

These are just a few of my favourite systems. When you start to look for them, systems exist everywhere. What systems do you depend on in your business? Or, better yet, where are you in need of really good systems to transform your work? 

Need help building your business systems? My training and coaching is designed to help you redesign your business to create a simple, yet significant and sustainable business that skyrockets your success. Find out more or book a discovery call.