Small Business Systems and Processes: Why You Need Them

When you start a business, it's all about rolling up your sleeves and getting things done by any means necessary--and that kind of spirit gets your company successfully off the ground!

And chances are if you did that initial step well then your business has grown to a point where you now feel out of control and out of spare time to grow your business to the next level. 

That’s where small business systems and processes come in. Systems and processes have a significant role in growing and scaling your business.

If you’re still with me there’s a good chance you’re thinking “this all sounds great, but I don’t have time or know-how to create these systems and processes.” 

But that kind of thinking leaves you stuck in a never-ending cycle of chasing “short-term” wins at the expense of long-term success.   

Setting up processes and systems is one of the best investments you can make toward your business’s long-term stability and growth. 

Here are five benefits of implementing small business systems and processes:

They increase efficiencies and help you save time.

If there’s one thing that small business owners don’t have enough of, it’s time. There are only so many hours in the day, and when you’re trying to do everything yourself, it can feel like you’re constantly running around with your head cut off. 

But when you have systems and processes in place, it allows you to work more efficiently and ultimately save time. This is because everyone knows exactly what needs to be done and how it should be done–streamlining your operations so things can run more smoothly and efficiently.

Small business systems and processes help you delegate and build a team.

As a small business owner, you wear a lot of hats--and that’s just the way it is in those early days. But if you want to grow your business and move more into the CEO role, you need to be able to delegate tasks effectively. 

But delegating can be difficult if you don’t have systems and processes in place. After all, how can you delegate a task if you don’t have a clear understanding of what needs to be done and how it should be done?

With systems and processes in place, you can easily delegate tasks to employees, contractors, or even virtual assistants. Simply provide them with your standard operating procedures for the project or task at hand. Then whoever you delegate to can clearly understand the system or process. 

Ultimately, systems and processes ensure whoever is working on the task at hand can replicate the results you’ve been able to achieve when doing the same process.

They deliver a consistent experience and improve the quality of your products or services.

Providing a level of consistency can be difficult to achieve without a clear plan in place. When you have systems and processes in place, you can be confident that each product or service meets your high standards.

Meeting these high standards ensure your business will exceed your client’s expectations leaving them smiling and wanting more. Leading to raving fans, enthusiastic promotors, and lifetime customers.

Small business processes help lower labor costs, which means increased profitability.

While systems and processes may require an initial investment of time and money, they can actually help you reduce costs in the long run. This is because they help you avoid mistakes, duplicate work, and wasted time and resources.

Plus, letting humans do what they’re good at and letting computers do what they’re good at means you can support the same amount of throughput without needing more staff and more overtime hours. 

They create more predictability, scalability, and business value.

When you have small business systems and processes in place, it becomes much easier to track progress toward your goals and see where you need to make improvements. You can more easily see what's working and what's not, and make the necessary adjustments more rapidly. 

As a result, you can more easily measure and monitor your business's growth which leads to more predictability within your business. So then you can understand how to profitably scale and grow your business. Overall building leverage and increasing your business’s value over time. 

All of these benefits are very valuable for any business, but the true beauty of investing in small business systems and processes is the long-term by-product each of these benefits creates which is consistent, predictable business growth. 

That’s what you need when you move into the CEO role of your business. That’s what you need if you want to scale your business. That’s what you need if you want to sell your business.

Implementing small business systems and processes may seem like a daunting task--but it’s an essential part of taking your business to the next level. The good news is that there are plenty of resources available to help you get started.

Stop kicking this can down the road. It’s time to start implementing small business systems and processes in your business! You’ll be glad you did.

And if you don't know where to start or you’re ready to invest in a partner for your systems and processes, we specialize in sales, marketing, and operations systems that convert more customers faster.

Schedule a 15-min call to see if you’re a good fit.