5 Common Mistakes Around Your Business Systems

Inside of your business is a series of actions that run your business; those are your systems. Business systems include how you deliver your product or provide your service, how you get your phone answered, how quickly you respond to emails, how do you collect payment, etc. The long-term effectiveness of your company is determined by your systems and how well they run. Systems not only help guide your business and the employees in it, but they provide you, the owner, peace. 

Every business owner I know works hard, experiences overwhelm, and works long days, it's par for the course in entrepreneurship. Systems exist to help alleviate that stress and overwhelm and to provide you with the space and time to work in your business, work on your business, and to take much needed time off to have a balanced, happy life.

Common Mistakes:

1. Having Dysfunctional Systems- Not seeing that your systems are what allow you to be peaceful leaves owners spending too much time dealing with the day-to-day work within their business and not having a few hours a week to work on their business. Taking the time this week to set up your systems means your following week will run more smoothly. 

2. Being Reactive Instead of Being Proactive- Reacting leads to stress and anxiety. If you let yourself live a reactive life you welcome feelings of stress, anxiety, fear, and nervousness. Being proactive and working on your business is how you set yourself up to experience feelings of peace, a sense of confidence, and accomplishment. 

3. Not Streamlining Your Systems- Going through every system in your company with a fine-tooth comb is essential. When you don't look at and cultivate your systems you may be missing things that could and should be working better within your business.

4. Not Doing Time Management- Regardless of what system of time management you use, not having some form of time management for you and your employees is a very common mistake. 

5. Not Training Your Staff on Honoring Your Time- This is a subsection of time management that deserves to be listed as a mistake of its own. Failure to delegate projects is an all-too common systemic mistake that leads to your staff hijacking your time by asking questions or seeking direction while in passing in the halls, or coming to your office. As the leader responsible for the business and the employees, you must delegate and train employees on the days and times you're available to address their concerns and answer their questions.

My most productive and forward thinking clients create workflow charts. From the first stage of their business to the last they have a clear, concise flowchart of how their business runs. The chart helps the capacity to delegate, streamline systems, and helps you identify and change any system that's a drain to your company.

As we prepare to welcome a new year, I challenge you, for the first six months of the new year to work 2 hours per week working on your business, streamlining your systems, learning and implementing a time management system, and creating a workflow chart. Make a business resolution to do what's necessary to have personal peace in the upcoming year and systems that lead to a highly-functioning business.