Have you thought about systemising your business but hesitate because you think that you’ll need to spend thousands of dollars on someone setting up those systems and investing in lots of complicated tools to put those systems in place? Not on my watch! I prefer to show you how to save money when systemising your business.
I operate from a lean business model which means I focus on only having those systems, processes and tools that I absolutely need while still satisfying my customers.
I always keep an eye on the tools that my clients are using, especially if they’re new to business, as it’s all too easy to get distracted by shiny objects or the marketing for the latest “essential” business tool. I’ll advise my clients not to invest their time into learning a new tool until they know that it will give them definite benefits rather than creating more work for themselves.
The same goes for systems as we can make our businesses far more complicated than they need to be. Instead I like to ask…
What is the simplest way to get this task done?
I’m going to guide you through 5 areas where you can save money when systemising your business.
We start with the workflow for the big picture then we look at the templates, forms, checklists and tools to support your systems.
1. Write Up Workflows
A workflow is made up of all the steps that need to be taken to complete a certain task.
You could have a workflow to write a blog post or welcome a new client. You’ll be using workflows in your daily life without realising it e.g. brushing your teeth or cooking dinner. Our lives are full of workflows.
Whenever you have a recurring task write down the steps that you take to get that task complete.
2. Type Those Templates
Templates are standard documents, images and emails that you’ll use over and over again. They can save you a LOT of time. These are some examples of templates you can create:
Documents e.g. a welcome kit for your clients so they know exactly how you work.
Emails e.g. a reply to an inquiry to be a guest on your podcast, a reply to an inquiry to have you design a logo, sending out your contract for signature.
Images e.g. blog post graphics, social media graphics.
Using templates allows me to easily deal with the admin side of my business and gives me more time to provide personalised emails as I know that the standard information is prewritten.
3. Fill In Forms
A form is a way to collect answers to a standard set of questions from your clients.
You might use a simple form when potential clients book in for a consult with you so that you can quickly see if they’re the right kind of client for you.
You might use an extensive form if you need to collect certain information before you can start working with the client e.g. font types, colours, copy etc if you’re designing a website.
By creating a form you only need to think of the questions you want answered once, freely up your energy for doing the actual work.
4. Create Checklists
Checklists are handy documents to have as they ensure that you don’t miss any steps when you’re working your way through a task.
Everything from creating a freebie to writing a blog post can benefit from a simple checklist, especially if there are lots of small steps you need to remember or it’s a task that you don’t do very often.
There is nothing quite so annoying as knowing that you’ve done this THING before but you can’t remember the steps so you end up wasting time figuring it all out again.
5. Free & Low Cost Tools
Not every tool needs to be expensive as there are many free tools that can meet all of your needs, either temporarily or for the life of your business.
I started with the free versions of Zoom, Calendly, Later, Hootsuite, Asana and IFTTT. Sometimes that is all you’ll need.
Read: 5 Tools That Will Save You Time In Your Business
You’ll soon see that while you can save money when systemising your business it can take up a lot of your time. If you’re at the stage that you’ve been trying to systemise your systems, so you can focus on doing what you really love, but you’re struggling to find the time then book in a complimentary virtual coffee.
