A key element you need for startup success is some sexy systems. No one told me that when I started my business so this might come as a surprise to you too.
Whether you already knew you needed systems or not doesn’t matter. Without systems you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the things you have to do. And you may not even have any clients yet.
As a solopreneur you need some core systems to achieve startup success without burning out. And now is the best time to get these systems in place. Then as you start to get clients, you can provide a stellar customer experience. This is needed for startup success!
“Time is a limited resource! Systems are the nuts and bolts of your business operations. If you are missing them, your business is not operating efficiently.”
~ Shannon Baker
I am very passionate about helping mompreneurs with service-based businesses use the mom cracks of time to create a more intentional business that supports their lifestyle.
A streamlined system reduces mistakes, produces consistent results, eliminates chaos and confusion. Systems are the foundation successful startups are built on. Here are three sexy systems you need to get in place asap because they are critical to your startups success.
System #1 – Filing System
This is where you store all of your business documents and your standard operating procedures…basically everything related to your business. I recommend using Dropbox or Google Drive because you can easily share documents with others and it makes version control easy when you need someone else to access your documents. Not to mention you can access your folders on your tablet or phone while on the go. So no more having to wait until you get home to edit a document or send a document because it’s on your hard drive.
I strongly suggest you invest in upgrading your email from the free Gmail account to a paid Google Workspace account. It’s more professional and there are a number of integrations and automations that will make your life easier. Not to mention it will save you time!
System #2 – Scheduling System
If you’re new to this podcast I want to let you know I am BIG on setting boundaries around your schedule for a number of reasons. Go back and listen to episode 17 and episode 47 where I talk about setting up boundaries to keep your business from overwhelming you and how to communicate them to your clients and stick to them.
One of the biggest boundaries is selecting specific days and times for your business calls so that they don’t interrupt your workflow. Phone calls is one of the biggest distractions you have other than email and social media. A scheduling system will change this for you! It will also work for you behind the scenes automatically!
All someone has to do is click a link and schedule their appointment. Then reminders go out automatically. If someone needs to reschedule, they can click the button in the reminder email. And here’s a bonus feature, a scheduler can collect the fee for any paid calls while it’s being booked. It’s literally hands off for you!
System #3 – Communication System
You need to have a customer care process! This starts from that first point of contact. How do you reply to inquiries? What happens next? How do you track leads? How do you get them to schedule a call? This process continues through client onboarding which includes you sending them a welcome kit. But it continues even beyond that into regular check-in calls with your clients.
This entire process provides a glimpse into the inner workings of your business. Go back and listen to episode 22 where I share tips to help you create a stellar customer experience and there’s something special in that episode that will make creating this system easy peasy!
Many solopreneurs skip the step of creating systems because they don’t have the knowledge they need to get started, they don’t know where to start or they aren’t good with technology. And you can start by creating your processes as a simple checklist. Click here for a simple process you can follow to get started!
As you get your systems in place, which is going to take some time, but they will free up your time, giving you the additional mental space you need to do what you love and spend time with those you love.
If you would like a simple checklist to help you identify 15 basic processes you should start working on, click here.
