Don’t go there – Where a lack of systems can lead

4 reasons your business needs systems

When it comes to systematizing their business, many business owners hesitate. There are a variety of reasons why this happens, but oftentimes, it’s because the business owner enjoys their work and ends up working in their business instead of on it.

Enjoying your work isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but if an owner has the intention of gaining more freedom, or if they one day hope to be able to sell their business, they have to start thinking about systematization.

Consider the example of James Schramko, founder of SuperFast Business, who said he knew he wanted to systematize his business from day one, because he knew the freedom that this would offer him. On the flip-side, think of what could happen if you, as a business leader, don’t prioritize systematization. Let’s take a look at where a lack of systems can lead and why you don’t want to go there.

1. A Lack Of Systems Can Make It Hard To Scale & Grow

If you don’t have any predictable systems in your business, then you – the business owner – will end up being the go-to person in your business.

The business owner should be focused on high-value, high-return activities, but if your business isn’t systematized, all of your time will likely be taken up by questions coming from your employees – especially new hires.

If a business relies entirely on your ability to run it, then scaling and growing will prove difficult. Many business owners say they have a hard time letting go of control, but that is a necessity if you want to grow.

2. A Lack Of Systems Can Kill Productivity

Every business has tasks that need to be completed on a recurring basis. Unfortunately, if these tasks are not documented, it can cause slowdown within your business.

The biggest bottleneck in any business is often a person, but if you don’t have systems, then a lack of systems is your true bottleneck.

3. A Lack Of Systems Can Make It Hard To Produce

Your employees want to be able to do the best work possible. They want to make sure they are contributing to the team. Unfortunately, without systems, they’ll just be shooting in the dark, trying to figure things out on their own. They won’t be able to hit your targets if they don’t even know where to aim.

Ultimately, you won’t get satisfactory results without implementing systems that allow your employees to produce their work consistently and predictably.

4. A Lack Of Systems Can Make Compliance A Challenge

Some businesses have strict compliance requirements that they need to abide by. Their work needs to be done in a very specific way in order to avoid legal complications. Systems make it easier for your team members to do their work the right way every single time.

Dave Sims, founder and CEO of Floify tames chaotic mortgage offices. He says that he needs to diligently follow business continuity and IT security processes in order to avoid litigation. Without systems, his business would prove much harder to keep in check.

Are You Ready To Get Yourself Out Of The Mess? Start Systematizing!

Don’t forget – systems are there to serve you, and not the other way around. If you end up serving the system, you’ll become a slave to your business all over again, and that’s no different from not having any systems at all. If you need help with systematization, encourage your team members to document the repetitive tasks they are doing. If they know their tasks well, they are probably the most qualified people to start creating procedures.

With systems, you can avoid many of the downfalls outlined above. Don’t be caught without systems if you want to grow and scale.

Have you started documenting systems in your company? Share the process you are using in the comments below.
This is a guest post by Owen McGab Enaohwo. He is the co-founder of SweetProcess, an app that enables you to quickly and easily document how you get repetitive tasks done so that your employees know exactly what to do.

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