I didn’t always have a love for business systems for growth. When I started my business, I didn’t even know what they were or how much they mattered if I wanted to succeed. I thought I could just piece things together, work hard, and keep moving forward.
For a while, that seemed to work. I was booking clients, staying busy, and from the outside it looked like I was doing everything right. But behind the scenes, it was total chaos. I was juggling multiple projects, working a full-time job, raising a family, and running on fumes.
Then one day, I completely forgot a commitment I had made to a client. It wasn’t in my planner, I couldn’t find the email I needed, and it wasn’t tracked anywhere because I didn’t have a project management system. That mistake almost cost me the client and it woke me up to a hard truth. The problem wasn’t how hard I was working, it was that my business didn’t have the structure to support the growth I wanted.
That experience taught me something every entrepreneur eventually learns the hard way. Growth will expose every single crack in your backend if you do not have business systems in place to support your growth. You can get by with organized chaos for a while, but when more opportunities start coming your way; more clients, more inquiries, more deadlines, those little inefficiencies turn into big energy drains.
You start spending more time double-checking things, chasing down missing information, and redoing work because nothing is documented. And if you keep ignoring it, those cracks will cost you time, energy, and even ruin your reputation. The solution is not to work harder or just hire help before you’re ready. The real solution is building business systems for growth that support you automatically.
One of the biggest traps I see business owners fall into is believing that a new tool will solve the problem. They hop from platform to platform thinking the right software will make them more organized. But tools don’t fix broken processes, they just help you store them in a box on the shelf. If your workflows are unclear, your priorities are fuzzy, and nothing is documented, it doesn’t matter where you put that chaos; it’s still chaos.
A system is a documented process that outlines how to do something step by step, integrates the right tools in the right places, and what’s left can be handed off to someone else without everything falling apart. And most importantly everything won;t rely on you. When you have this kind of structure, you stop reinventing the wheel and start operating in a way that is consistent, efficient, and easy to maintain.
Strong systems are not just about efficiency. They position you as a leader in your business instead of someone who is constantly putting out fires. They allow you to guide your clients through a smooth, consistent process that builds trust from day one. They also make it possible to say no to the wrong opportunities and yes to the right ones without wondering how you will make it work.
Systems let you hand off tasks with confidence because your business doesn’t rely on you to remember every little detail. Leadership is not just about vision. It’s about how your business runs when you are not there to push it forward every second of the day. Without systems, you are just managing tasks. With them, you are steering the ship.
If you are ready to start changing how you run your business, keep it simple. Pick one process in your business that feels messy or inconsistent. Maybe it’s onboarding, maybe it’s client prep, maybe it’s project delivery. Write down every single step as it actually happens now – the real version, not the ideal one. Seeing it on paper will show you exactly where the breakdowns are. From there, you can clean it up, create templates, and automate what makes sense. That’s how systems are built that last. Not in a day, but step by step with clarity as your guide over time.
When you have business systems for growth in place, you stop running your business in survival mode. You start making decisions from a place of clarity and control. You create space for opportunities instead of scrambling to handle them. You build a business that works for you instead of one that wears you down.
If you want help identifying where to start, grab the Back Office POWER Checklist. It will walk you through the six core business systems for growth every entrepreneur needs. In less than ten minutes, you’ll see what’s working, what’s missing, and exactly where to focus next so you can grow without burning out.
You can grab it anytime at theshannonbaker.com/checklist and start building a backend that supports your vision instead of slowing you down. And if you want more guidance on how to make that happen, you already know where to find me.
If you would like to hear the expanded version check out the podcast episode below.
1:48: The moment I realized my backend was holding my business back and how that shifted everything about the way I work
4:26: Why growth exposes every crack in your backend and how to recognize the warning signs before they cost you time, energy, and clients
6:46: The truth about why tools don’t fix messy processes and what to focus on before you invest in new software or team members
9:25: How the right systems turn you into a leader who guides the business instead of one who’s always putting out fires
11:09: A quick win challenge to help you see exactly where your process is breaking down and how to start fixing it today
14:10: How the Back Office POWER Checklist can help you identify your gaps and create a clear plan for sustainable growth
Resources Mentioned:
Ready to simplify your back office and finally feel in control?
Grab the Biz Ops Checklist, a fillable PDF, to quickly audit your back office, spot inefficiencies, and create a smoother, more efficient operation!
If your business is starting to grow, but everything behind the scenes is getting harder to manage to the point that you are overwhelmed. This episode is for you. Today I'm going to break down the must fix systems that either support your growth or are silently sabotaging it because they're missing. So if you're back in fields, duct taped together and you're ready for more clarity, more control and way less stress. Let's get into it.
Welcome to the mind your time Podcast. I'm Shannon Baker, your copy loving host and business operations strategist. Each week, I'll share practical insights and bold strategies rooted in my power and motion framework to help you streamline your operations, reclaim your time and build a business that supports your life, whether you're just starting out or scaling to six figures and beyond, these episodes will help you take control and create success on your own terms. So grab a cup of coffee or your favorite beverage, and let's dive into today's topic.
Okay, I have a confession to make. I didn't always love systems. In fact, I didn't even know what systems were when I started my business as a virtual assistant, but eventually I learned the hard way, that they are the things that you can't just piece together if you want your business to thrive. But before that lesson was learned, I was doing good work, I was booking clients, I was staying busy, but everything behind the scenes, it was pure chaos, and I will never forget the part of my journey when I was juggling multiple client projects, working a full time job, raising a family, and I was exhausted, I mean, to the point that I was like, how am I supposed to keep this up?
And then one day, I realized I had promised the client something, and I completely forgot about it. It wasn't in my planner, it wasn't on my digital calendar. I couldn't even find the email that I needed to complete the task, and it definitely wasn't in any kind of project management tool, because I wasn't using one, and I almost lost that client. That was the moment that I realized something had to change. And this didn't just happen because I was disorganized, because, by nature, I'm a very organized person, but that didn't matter, because I was just trying to grow a business without the back end that needed to support it. And that's when it clicked.
The problem wasn't how much I was doing, it was how I was doing it, and that's when I made the decision that I wasn't going to keep working in that chaos. So I started paying attention to when I worked and how I worked, not just what I worked on, and that laid the foundation for the kind of business that I run today, and I help my clients build the same type of business. So the tips that I'm going to share today and the strategies that I share on the podcast in general, they are tried and true. And I'm not saying that you need to do things exactly the way that I did, by all means, but I'm pretty sure that you can relate to the struggle that I've had over the years and the things that I've had to overcome, and you can get something from what I learned or the mistakes that I made, so that you can also get past that.
Now, if you're out here doing meaningful work, your clients are happy, your business is growing and you're getting noticed. Kudos to you. But I also know for many of you, everything behind the scenes is keeping you up at night. So if that's you, I want you to recognize that it doesn't mean you're necessarily doing anything wrong, but your systems are not in place, or your business is not equipped to support all of that because the systems are missing. So let's talk about what you actually need to fix before you experience this growing pain, because more clients and bigger opportunities won't fix a messy back end, it will just magnify the issues. And if you already have steady growth, then you are experiencing these growing pains, and it's time for us to get it under control.
So let's start with the first hard truth. Growth exposes every single crack in the back end of your business. Now, when you first start your business, you can get by with a couple of sticky notes, and you can still make things happen when you're working with organized chaos. But as you prove your business concept is viable and your business starts growing, that means you're taking more calls, so you need a screening process. You also need templates to respond be. Because you're going to get more inquiries.
Basically, there are a ton of moving parts, and every little inefficiency in your back office becomes a big energy drink. So you end up spending more time double checking to see if you sent that response or that contract if you reply to an email, sometimes you forget to follow up with people, so you miss out on good opportunities. And that doesn't even count for the time that you lose, constantly searching through your computer or your Google Drive or Dropbox or OneDrive, trying to find that one document you use the last time you know the one that has the wording exactly the way that you want it. And it's not that you're disorganized, well maybe, but in reality, the fact is that your business has outgrown the way you've been operating.
You need systems, and this is where a lot of business owners get stuck, or they just ignore this all together and continue to operate by the seat of their pants. And then we're told in the online space that you just need to hire help or work harder, work smarter, not harder. But no one tells you what actually needs to change to address all of this, and if you keep ignoring it, it will only get worse. The truth is, you don't need more help because you're doing things manually. You need a business that supports you automatically, because once you start booking clients consistently, or you get enough business to the point that you start to raise your prices, those cracks in your back end are going to start costing you real time, real energy, money and trust.
And that brings me to the second big mindset shift that you need to make. You don't need more tools. You need more structure. And this is big because it's very easy to fall into. The tech will save me trap. This is the second biggest trap I've seen business owners make outside of hiring help way before their business is ready for that type of support. Now I'm not going to get on my soapbox about that today, because I've covered that already in the episode, stop hiring in chaos.
How to delegate successfully, and you can check that out later if you're thinking about building a team to help you solve this issue. Spoiler alert is not going to work, but here's the truth that no one talks about tech tools do not fix messy processes. They just disguise them. So maybe you've tried Google Sheets. Click up, notion. Air table, Trello, Monday, the list can go on and on, hoping that one of them is going to finally make your business feel more organized. If you don't have documented processes or you're unclear on your process, on your priorities or how things flow, it doesn't matter where you store your documents or what tools you have in your tech toolkit, it's still chaos.
So when you create systems in your business, you start to build structure, and when I say systems, I'm talking about a documented process that walks through how to do something for your business, step by step, then your tech tools are integrated, and what's left can be delegated to someone other than you. See, when your systems are in place, you have a way of working that's repeatable. Boundaries are built into your workflows. Things operate efficiently and consistently behind the scenes.
That means you can stop reinventing the wheel, because the wheel is already mapped out and in place, and once you have that, my friend, your tools finally start doing what you wanted them to do. Your task manager reminds you at the right time to do something. Your client folders follow a naming convention so you can find what you need when you need it, and your scheduler, oh, your calendar is completely blocked off and allows for the time that you need to focus and be present in everyday life. So it's not about finding the perfect software or even the perfect person. It's about building a structure that works for you, and then plugging your tools and people into that.
Now here's the part, most people overlook the right systems. They help you lead, not just deliver. So if you're spending all of your time reacting to emails, juggling client deliverables and putting out fires, you're stuck in survival mode, and that is not leadership. And I know that you're not building your business just to feel busy all the time.
You're building it to lead, to have control of your time, to create a client experience that feels aligned. It's sustainable. Streamlined systems allow you to do that. They let you lead your clients through a smooth, consistent and clear process that sets expectations and builds trust. They let you say no to the wrong opportunities and yes to the right ones without panicking and without stretching you too thin, they help you hand off tasks with confidence, because you're not the only person who knows how it all works, and it works without you having to manually do it all yourself.
You see, leadership isn't just about having the vision. It's about having the right operations. It's about how your business runs when you're not the one pushing it forward every single day, and if your business is relying on you to remember, manage and hold everything together that is not sustainable. That's a burnout plan that is waiting to happen. So where exactly can you start?
Well, I've got a quick one challenge for you. I want you to pick one process in your business right now that feels inconsistent or is weighing you down just one it could be your only onboarding process. It could be how you prepare for sales calls, or maybe it's how you manage your clients.
Whatever it is, I want you to write out every single step of that process, and I mean the real version, not the polished one that exists in your head but doesn't work in reality. What do you actually do? Write down the steps in order, and then you can go back and identify what's missing, and I don't want you to worry about fixing it yet. I just want you to get the steps out of your head and onto paper, because once you can see your process, then you can clean it up. Once it's cleaned up, you can create templates, you can streamline it, and eventually you can delegate it.
That's how systems start. And it doesn't require a fancy dashboard, but it does require clarity. Now, if you want a little help identifying where to start mapping out your back end systems. That's exactly what the back office power checklist is for. It walks you through the six core systems your business needs so that you can grow without burnout, and in less than 10 minutes, you can see what's working, what's missing, and identifying where you need to focus.
This is the same checklist that I use to streamline my systems, and I use it with my clients and inside of the mighty society systems insanity suite. It's designed to help you stop spinning your wheels and start fixing what's slowing you down. You can grab it at the Shannon baker.com forward slash checklist, or you can just click the link in the show notes.
Now, before I let you go, let's ground all of this information with a quick recap. First, growth magnifies what's missing in your back end. If it's messy, getting more clients is not going to fix that. It's just going to make it harder to manage. So before you start to grow and scale, we need to fix the foundation. Second, tech tools are not the solution. Structure is you can't automate what isn't clearly identified.
So start with how you work, then you can choose tools that support that workflow, not ones that force you into someone else's system. And third systems are how you lead with intention. They give you control without you having to micromanage. They let you show up for your business, your clients and your life with calmness, clarity and confidence. And that's the kind of business you're really trying to build, isn't it? Not one that just runs, but one that fits the way you want to live and lead.
So if you're ready to start building that version of your business, I want you to go to the Shannon baker.com forward slash checklist and download the back office power checklist, and once you go through it, you will know exactly where to start fixing the things that are silently stealing your time. Remember, you don't need to work harder, you just need the right support, and that starts with your systems.
Thanks for hanging out with me this week. If you've made it this far, it's clear you're ready to shake things up and take control of your business, and I'm here for it. But remember, just listening to this episode won't get you better results. I challenge you to break the mold and take action today. Your next move, let's connect. Head to the show notes and book a call with me to learn how the mighty society membership can help you streamline your back office and reclaim your time. If you're not ready for that step yet, no worries.
Connect with me on Instagram at the underscore Shannon Baker and tell me what resonated most from today's episode, and if you're loving the podcast, leaving a review is a quick way to show your support and help more entrepreneurs like you break free from the chaos. Listening is great, but action creates transformation. Go make it happen, and until next time, keep calm and streamline you.
