Wow, it’s February already! Remember when the New Year came in and you made a goal to get the backend of your business together? The Operations side of business. Remember that?
So, let’s discuss this. You want to get your operations in shape. But what does that mean? And more importantly, where do you start? It starts with systems! Planning is innate to me and I’m a quick analyzer, so you’ve seen me talking about it often. Systems and workflows work for every type of business. But for those visionary-type business owners, this can be a struggle. Right? Moving your business forward requires change. And the best way to implement change is through small yet actionable steps.
For most businesses, you need different systems. Here are 3 ways to boost your business which will help to improve the backend of your business quickly.
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1. DOCUMENT PROCESSES
Documenting your processes will be the single most effective thing you can do to boost your business. It allows you to move forward into your CEO role, create workflows, standardize procedures, alleviate gaps, hire & outsource the work, and SCALE YOUR BUSINESS.
Think of a set of repeatable tasks and procedures that you do but no longer want to do because your time would be more valuable doing something else. Begin right there! This is the work you will ultimately outsource. Write down every step of the process. Better yet, create a video of the process (Loom is a great tool for this). Share and gather feedback. Incorporate the feedback received by tweaking the documentation, implement corrections and streamline the processes. You now have a Standard Operating Procedure which enables you to hand off to a team allowing you to SCALE your business.
2. AUTOMATE
Thanks to technology, automation has become much easier and endless. Even if you start small, most business owners are thankful for automating appointment scheduling and invoicing. There are tools that can be integrated like Quickbooks and Calendly but then there are all-in-one tools like Dubsado and Honeybook which can make your processes run smoothly.
Automated scheduling saves everyone time. It’s no longer necessary to email or text back and forth about what time is best. For example, on my Google calendar, I set my availability, link the calendar to my Calendly scheduling software, and send out links to anyone who I would like to schedule time with. You can even create different types of events which will link back to your available time on your calendar.
Now what if your invoices went out on the right day – every month – automatically? Using Dubsado, Honeybook, or Quickbooks to create recurring invoices are all great options. This feature is a gamechanger! Just be sure to create personalized emails to go with each invoice along with any instructions you wish the client to see.
3. CREATE A DASHBOARD
What’s a dashboard? Imagine you’re the pilot of an aircraft with multiple instruments that holds information to the different areas you must focus on moving the plane forward and landing correctly. Now imagine all of the most important information on one screen so that you can put your finger on the pulse of the area that needs attention at any given moment. That’s what a dashboard is. The dashboard is the main tool where you view all the business’ key performance indicators (KPI) which are the numbers that matter most for your business. Tracking can include revenue, accounts receivables, accounts payables, sales, lead-to-client conversion calls, or email open rates.
Decide which KPIs are important for your business and start with something as simple as an Excel spreadsheet. If you have team members who are responsible for monitoring tasks like emails, customer service, or accounting, assign them to update the dashboard monthly.
Having a dashboard automatically makes you become more aware, more efficient, and more selective about where you (and the business) are spending time and money and how you work with clients – because, after all, numbers don’t lie.
Systems can save you time and money. Getting them in place can feel overwhelming. Be intentional and take actionable steps to get the operations side of your business together. Small steps will do.
If you are ready to go deep and get down to business about cleaning up the backend of your business, a strategic planning session with me may be a good fit for you. Remember your goals. It’s already the second month of 2022 and time is not waiting. Start here to book your Discovery Call.