Creating business & marketing systems to automate growth

There are two things that I commonly hear from my clients that are keeping them from reaching the level of success they desire in their businesses.

Problem #1: I don’t have marketing and sales systems

The first is that they don’t have enough clients – they are struggling to keep their sales pipeline full.

They lack marketing and sales systems.

Often they are so busy one month that they don’t take the time to market their services and – as a result – their business declines drastically and they fall into a cash flow dip.

If that is a problem for you, then be sure to read my article, The 4-Step Formula for Generating a Steady Stream of Clients.

Problem #2: I don’t have business systems that leverage my time and give me freedom

The second problem is one of capacity.

In this situation, my client has a steady stream of business but feels overwhelmed, exhausted, and stressed.

If you fall into either one of these scenarios, rest assured that you are not alone.

There are many entrepreneurs who are in the same boat.

The good news is that there are solutions you can incorporate into your business to solve either of these problems.

The answer is to create business systems

What are the benefits of business systems?

• Systems leverage your time and your knowledge.
• They create more time and mental freedom for you. 
• Marketing systems and automation allow you to attract an ongoing flow of clients into your pipeline less effort.
• Systems improve productivity and efficiency. You are able to use each our for the highest and best use of your time.
• By developing systems, you are able to standardize your operations and lower service delivery costs.

Where to start with creating business systems?

Start by making a list of your daily and weekly activities.

Just keep a piece of paper next to your desk for a week and make a note of every task that you do and how long you are spending on it (or document it digitally).

Once you’ve done this for a week, notice how much time you are spending on technical (busywork) aspects of your business and how much on business-building activities.

Then add to this list everything that is not getting accomplished because you don’t have enough time.

Once you have this list completed, begin to develop strategies to delegate, document, cluster, and automate.

Here are specific tips to help you create freedom in your business through building systems that help you market, sell, deliver services, hire, train, and more:

1) Delegate, delegate, delegate

Are you still doing your own books, running your own errands, or organizing your own files?

If so, ask yourself, “Is this task my highest pay-off business activity?”

Or is there something else you could be doing with your time to bring revenue into your company?

Be ruthless with your time and delegate the busy work to a virtual assistant.

You can also outsource to graphic designers, copywriters, bookkeepers, and website programmers to save you money, time, and energy.

When you outsource, create Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in order to standardize everything the contractors are doing for you.

To decide when to outsource, look at the opportunity cost for you of continuing to do a task.

If you can pay someone $25/hour, $50/hour, or even $75/hour and you can make $100 – $200/hour during that same time, then outsource the work.

In my own business, as soon as I started my own consulting and coaching company, I hired a VA then quickly moved to working with an OBM who has several team members she can plug in to help me. I just brought on a copywriter as well.

2) Document your processes

Take the time to write down the specific way your company does things.

You should have a specific method for closing sales, storing your files, developing proposals, pricing your services, and communicating with your clients.

By creating “How-to Guides” for all of these activities, you begin to standardize these processes.

Those assistants that I just recommended you hire to help you can assist you in creating these. My team helps me and they are brilliant at it.

Documenting your systems makes it easy for an assistant or other people to step in and take over these tasks.

It also makes it easier for you to repeat and refine these actions so that they improve over time.

When systems work, they will lead to the same positive results over and over.

3) Cluster (or batch) your activities

It takes a lot of energy to switch gears.

And when you switch gears constantly, you lose time and money.

Therefore, the best solution is to be ruthless with your time.

Group like activities together and then create a schedule on your calendar for completing them and then stick to it.

For instance, if you know that a high payoff activity for you is to make phone calls to your clients, then set aside blocks of time to do this each day or each week.

During this time, do NOT answer e-mails or begin other project work.

Commit to these activities and follow through without fail.

4) Put it on autopilot – automate it

Look at your business to see if there are any activities that you can automate.

For instance, when people sign up for your newsletter, you can set up an autoresponder to thank them.

You could create a page on your website or a templated email that answers all of the questions your prospects typically ask.

Then you can direct people to this page (or send them the templated email) instead of spending time on the phone answering the same questions.

Begin building business systems and creating automation so you can leverage your time, even out your cash flow, and enjoy more time freedom

The amazing benefits of systems for business and marketing

By creating systems for your company, you’ll have more time to do the things you enjoy and the ones that bring in revenue.

Instead of spending your day scrambling to get your daily tasks completed, you’ll be able to focus on the high payoff activities that will make your company more successful.

You’ll also be able to reap the rewards of having more time to market your company leading to a steady stream of clients.

Begin the systemization process today and you’ll enjoy the rewards for years to come.

Ready to take the next step to scale your business?

And if you want to really learn how to create systems, delegate, and automate so you can scale your business, let’s talk!

You can also sign up for my FREE Masterclass where I’ll walk you through creating a strategy for raising your rates, getting booked solid with high-end clients, and setting up the systems that allow you to scale your business to 6- and 7-figures.