I’m a big believer in ‘systems’ and even though you will initially need to invest a lot of time and effort to put them all together and implement, the reward will pay you back several times over once you have established and put them in place.
There are a number of systems to consider and look at putting together when you have a business. Computer software and IT platforms are a ‘must’ for most businesses in today’s world. IT systems will take care of your administration and accounting reporting requirements and will also enable you to keep an eye on all aspects of your business. Systems
will allow you to keep track of sales, receipts, and invoices and most aspects of all financial needs and reporting requirements. Software programs can often be tailored to suit your individual business needs, which is great. IT systems will also assist with many HR operations such as wages, rosters, leave registers, etc.
CRM (customer relationship management) databases, MailChimp, and other marketing database needs can be created and delivered so that you can contact clients, keep in touch, and distribute marketing updates and newsletters regularly and easily.
An operations manual is also a great tool to provide systems and guidance for employees to follow, and this can cover most aspects of your business, making it an invaluable tool. A comprehensive operations manual will cover your processes, procedures, and give administration guidance. It will also assist with customer complaint handling procedures and will have templates that can be used on a daily basis by staff for a range of items and/or correspondence. It will usually also include HR or staff forms, requirements, job descriptions, expectations, etc.
Systems give everyone something to follow and adhere to, which is an important side of any business. Systems
ensure that everyone is clear on what is expected and has guidance and procedures to follow, which can save a huge amount of time, unnecessary worry, and will also relieve a lot of questions, queries, and issues as they should all be documented in the operations manual.
As referred to, systems can take a lot of time initially to develop, trial, and implement but it will be well worth the effort. Ask your staff for feedback so that you can constantly streamline and improve upon. Today’s world is constantly changing and evolving and it is important to keep abreast of changes or new thoughts and ideas that may assist you to fine-tune some of your systems and processes to save time and improve efficiency. Your operations manual will be a ‘working document’ that is constantly changing and evolving, but once the groundwork is done and you have created
and implemented it, updates and amendments can be made quite easily.
Systems are a given in all successful businesses, so ensure you do create and implement as the time you save as you proceed forward will be immense.