Start From Day One!
The beginning phases of starting up a business are always hectic. You never feel that you have enough time to do all that you need. This is the most important time to create an operating system. You need to think about everything you need right from day one. Tracking and recording everything from the start will pay off in the end. What seems small and unimportant may in fact be a vital component of running your operation successfully. Details, details, details!
Documentation is Crucial!
Diarize everything from how/where you save files right up to how your full company operates. Ensure that all staff/employees/workers do the same in each aspect of their job. Knowing all procedures within your company will keep it running smoothly. If you don’t feel you have the bandwidth for these procedures, hire professionals to do it! The money you invest will ensure your success!
Foreseeing Problems
Avoiding future issues within your company can be tackled by making notes of steps and procedures. All team members will find value in knowing they can rely on systems put in place to make their job easier. Problems always arise and the availability of how to handle any situation is invaluable.
Develop a Manual
A specific company Operations Manual is a wonderful tool that will benefit the present and future success of your business. Being proactive with this is essential. Document specifically, all procedures within your company. This can be as simple as outlining how to answer a phone call to tracking strategies to grow your business. Each time you hire a new person to your team, you should be able to have them step right in to that position with systems already in place. An Operations Manual will make your small business run like a fine tuned machine!
Implementing and Revising Your Systems
Once you’ve created your systems you will need to revisit them often. Decide what is working and what isn’t. Ask yourself, ‘Have we missed anything?’ Do we need a system for: Opening the office? Booking appointments? Marketing meetings? Etc, etc, etc. Any system that you create, as long as implemented properly, will ultimately free up your time to ensure your business is growing as it should!
© Kim Miller, DemGen Inc. 2014
