Isn’t it great how life gives you little gentle nudges, tries to get you to pay attention, and then — when you keep ignoring the signals — it shoves you off into the deep end?
For my entire career I’ve naturally gravitated toward putting together systems and processes. A little organization goes a long way in getting those little duckies to all line up in a row — and make your business and your life SO much simpler. When I was the assistant marketing manager at a start-up manufacturing company I sat in a meeting one day and listened to the head of engineering whining that the guys in the shop just could NOT seem to ship the product with all the pieces-parts. Did you get that? The LEAD ENGINEER couldn’t figure out how to get the shipping department to put all the pieces in the box!
I sat there stunned for a minute and then (quite uncharacteristically for me of course) butted right in. “Um…. do you have a checklist?” The lead engineer stared at me and said “What a great idea! Would you put one together for us?” During the rest of my time there, not one more box was shipped without all its widgets.
So why am I telling you this? Because I have finally learned to listen to “mine own self” as the little kids say. After years of putting together systems here and there and not really really educating my clients (like I should have) to see the enormous benefits that come with having the kind of well-thought-out documentation and processes that they needed, I’m taking the bull by the horns. With major changes in my business and a little demon in my head that demands freedom and an unconventional lifestyle, I’ve moved systems and processes from the back burner to a critical priority. And you should too. Why? Because when you have good systems in place, your business runs like a well-oiled machine. You are freed up from all those nagging little details, and other people can support you much more easily. Suddenly you have room to grow and live the life you really want.
It seems so obvious. Yet so few business owners have good systems and processes in place. We’re gonna fix that. Ready to rock and roll? Let’s give you a taste of the incredible benefits of systems. Spend a little time over the next few days thinking about all the little tasks you would have to do if you decided to hire your first virtual assistant (VA) or if your current VA should decide to leave. How much of what you need to teach a new staff person is all documented and in nice, neat folders somewhere that is easily accessible? My bet is that you’re like 95% of online business owners – you have no documentation. Or maybe you have a little, but can’t remember where you put it. How much time is it going to cost you, to get that new person up to speed? Wouldn’t you rather spend that time developing new products or attending an event? So think about the difference that even a few simple systems and processes could make. Think of the freedom! And then get ready to start putting your own systems and processes in place — and I’m going to show you how!
