Is System A Dirty Word in Business?
Every time I go out of town, my husband creates a new system. As a Systems Engineer, he can’t help but see inefficiencies and figure out the solution to it. And while I love a good system, I used to get really annoyed about it, because I felt like it was one more thing for me to follow or adapt to. But then I realized 2 basic truths:
Everyone has some kind of system in place already.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
And that’s when I saw what he was doing for the gift it was. He wasn’t creating from scratch. He was taking what we were already doing… or not doing… and improving it. He was fixing something that was in fact broken.
Systems are a game changer in your business, so today, today, I’m going to give you 4 reasons why people don’t put systems in place, and my hope is that in doing so, you’ll make a powerful shift in your business from: “Creating systems is hard and will slow me down.” to “Systems save you stress, time, energy, and money.”
Let’s start first by defining system. A system, at its most basic, is many parts that operate together to accomplish a purpose.
And when you apply this definition to the 2 basic truths above, you’ll see that systems aren’t this big scary thing, but rather an absolute must for business success.
So, with all this in mind, let’s talk about why people don’t have systems in their business.
1. I don’t have time to create them.
“I don’t have time to slow down.”
“It feels like I’ve got a million and one things and this just isn’t at the top of my priority list.”
Sound familiar?
Taking the time to pause and evaluate what you’re doing in your business is absolutely vital to efficiency and success. The reality is, you DO have systems in your business. You have a way to do virtually everything already, so it’s not about CREATING all the time. Sometimes, it’s about taking note of what you are doing and seeing if it’s working for you.
2. I work alone. Do I really need them?
The short answer is YES! Yes, you absolutely need systems.
Here’s why:
a) As the business grows, there is simply no way you can do everything on your own. This is part of shifting your mindset from being an employee, a practitioner, to being an entrepreneur. At some point, you’re going to HAVE to bring additional people into the business, and when you have systems in place, it makes that process so much easier. Will you have to slow down to show new people what to do? Yes, but the time is sliced in half when you’ve already documented what you do and how you do it… and even the why behind it!
b) If and when you ever want to take a vacation or sell the business, you need systems. Warren Buffett is famous for passing up the acquisition of highly profitable businesses when they don’t have systems in place. Having systems means you OWN the business… rather than it owning YOU!
3. I don’t know where to start…
This is the easy part. Start with what you’re doing. I’m going to challenge you to get really observant with what you do each day for at least a week.
Half the battle is awareness, so start with what you’re doing. Carry a little notebook around and jot down what you do throughout the day all day for at least a week, and longer if possible. And then take a step back and see what you notice. From there, you’ll see trends and patterns emerge. You can evaluate how it feels when you do those things. Cumbersome? Easy?
Then start tweaking. This is not a 1-time event. It’s a process and it takes time.
In my Business Building blog series, I detailed the 4 major systems that every business needs, so if you’re uncertain about where to focus, this is a good place to start.
4. I’m a creative person… I like to go with the flow, and systems are stifling.
I feel you. I don’t like being stifled, and I also don’t like being interrupted. Systems actually give you freedom to pursue the thing you’re passionate about. When you use system as an acronym – save you stress time energy and money – you’ll see how even as a creative, you gain more freedom and flexibility.
Let’s break it down:
Stress – you no longer have to decide what to do or how to go about doing it every. single. time.
Time – The more you automate repeatable tasks and trim the fat from your processes, the less time you waste.
Energy – Kiss decision fatigue goodbye! This is where systems are GOLD! They allow you to decrease the number of decisions you have to make and increase the time for creativity and the work you really want to do.
Money – Repeatable systems give you the ability to hire out pieces of the business and allows you to focus on the high value tasks that only you can do. After all, the CEO may be able to do all the little things… but is that really the best use of her time?
When you get out from under these excuses and see the value of having systems in your business, you’ll recognize just how much MORE productive you can be in your business WITH them.
So, here’s two simple things you can do right now to get started:
Download the The Ultimate Systems Guide to do a little sanity check to see how you’re doing in your business.
Start tracking what you do… and how long you do it… all day, every day for at least a week. Then take a few minutes to review it and see what you notice!
Systems make the world… and your business… go round. So, put on your Systems hat and get to work.
