Simplify your small business systems to unlock efficiency and productivity, allowing you to focus on what truly matters. Streamlining your operations can help you achieve your business goals faster and with less stress.
Stop Playing ‘Chief Everything Officer’
Clarify Your Role
Simplify your small business systems why not start with your own job description? When you have clarity in your role, you make it much easier to get your message across to others, identifying gaps and achieving your own outcomes. Most business owners I work with have not developed their own job descriptions. Doing so can be a valuable tool for growing your business and as a time management tool. You wear many hats as an owner, but in order to make the best of your time and resources, you need to be able to identify and prioritise your time and workload. This will help you to avoid burnout.
Review Your Core Responsibilities
Do you have a job description? If not, it is about time you spent that hour sitting down and reviewing your core responsibilities. If you do, maybe it’s time to review it?
Identify Core Values and Duties
What are your core values, duties, key performance indicators, skills, and tasks? Cluster and categorize them. Prioritise them; what has to be done daily, weekly, monthly? How much time do you allocate for everything? Create a spreadsheet to organise the categories and timeframes.
Know Your Outcomes
Define Productivity Outcomes
I am not just talking about financial profitability here. I am speaking of your basic productivity outcomes.
Evaluate Time Usage
Simplify your small business systems and what do you do with your time? Is there unnecessary time spent on matters that someone else could be doing? Do you have your own KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators)? If not, then set them up. KPI measurement uses data you already have to show how well your business is performing. They will be different for each business, but the basic idea is the same: to measure the important features of your business.
Assess the Value of Your Time
Review what your time is worth. What would it cost to delegate some of those things that take up a lot of your time? What would be your salary if you were working for someone else in your profession? Have you calculated what your chargeable time needs to be to enable you to receive the same wage, if not better? After all, you are in business and should actually be making a profit on top of your wage. Know what your time is worth and work towards pricing your time to ensure you are getting paid accordingly.
Delegate and Automate
Delegate Wisely
Do you have the right or best skills for all your tasks? That might be technical, writing, editing, communication, financial, or marketing. Delegating to either a staff member or considering outsourcing to a virtual assistant can be beneficial. Be careful of employing family or old work colleagues without considering what skills and attributes they actually have; it is easy to employ people we like, but it’s not always the best decision.
Embrace Automation
What can be automated to spare your time a little? There is so much software available; make sure it does what you want before you start paying heavy fees. Choosing the right software or automated tools will not only save you masses of time but also help you get the desired results for your business. For example, use automated email responses to ensure prompt communication with potential clients.
Maintain Work-Life Balance
Avoid Becoming a Slave to Your Business
No one starts their business dreaming of owning a job. But often, they end up doing exactly that — they become slaves to their business. If we dive headfirst into trying to be good at everything, it will be incredibly hard to pull back out, and we will wind up owning a job.
Dream of Freedom
If we dream of taking holidays, seeing our friends and family, watching our kids grow up, and taking an hour off in the middle of the day to do something if we want — WE CAN’T DO THAT if we are trying to do everything ourselves. It is as simple as that!
Inspirational Takeaway
Simplifying your small business systems is not just about saving time; it’s about creating a sustainable business that allows you to thrive both professionally and personally. By clarifying your role, knowing your outcomes, delegating, and automating tasks, you can achieve a better work-life balance. Need help reviewing any of this? Don’t forget to make that call and have a refreshing conversation about your business with Helen Cowley at Small Business Improvement Services.
More insights & Connect with us!
For more insights on cultivating a successful mindset and improving your business, visit our Small Business Improvement Services. And check out our latest blogs for more tips and strategies. We also host a free online Q&A Discussion on the 2nd Thursday of each month. Grab your coffee or breakfast and enjoy the conversation!
COFFEE CATCH-UP
Each month, you have a free opportunity to bring along your topic and discuss any challenges you’re facing. You can join our Coffee Catch-Up Event or book here for a more focused one-on-one discussion.
