Implementing Spring Solutions Now for a Better Tomorrow

Just like the old adage of “April showers bring May flowers,” taking the time to build out your base systems today will yield more bounty for years to come. It may seem like putting one more thing on your task list, but getting intentional about your base systems now will make a huge difference going forward!

So…what are base systems and why are they important?

Base systems are those elements that allow you to step away when necessary.  I recently lost a family member after a two-week battle in the ICU and had to step away from my business for about 3 weeks. The base systems that I had in place allowed my team to step in seamlessly and manage my calendar, my e-mail, and all the duties of running the business. In turn, this allowed me the complete Peace of Mind to stay focused with my family when I needed to.

I often get asked how to start creating systems for a small business, and the answer might surprise you.

Creating Base Systems

It doesn’t start with the SOPs; it starts with identifying your mission, your brand, your core values, and your culture so that your team members will understand exactly what you do and what you stand for. They can then act on your behalf and be in alignment with your messaging. Even a simple chapter in your Procedures Manual will give clarity and guidance to your team (or any coverage person) so they know what to do and how to be in alignment.

Your systems don’t stop there, though. Base systems also include core day-to-day operational structures so that everyone can do a great job. Here are a few:

• Calendaring:  Include how you calendar (because we all do it a bit differently) and the amount of detail necessary so that someone else can quickly understand the information you need: what this meeting is, how important it is, and contact information to know how to reschedule if necessary.
• Email:  It’s essential to have a clear procedure and process for how to triage emails into organized folders, set rules to reduce mental energy on routine confirmation emails, and how to set to-dos or alerts to make sure things don’t fall through the cracks. These are all vital elements to having a business that runs smoothly.
• Monthly Planning: Planning checklists are a must. These will ensure that every month we’re looking ahead by two months to identify key events (both personally and professionally) and to make time and space on the calendar to accomplish those items.
• Business Support:  As business owners, we need to make space to handle financials, administrative tasks, leadership tasks, and legal requirements. Again, create a clear checklist or space on the calendar to have time to deal with those. This will help you to know what needs to be accomplished, creating that clarity and Peace of Mind for the owner as well as anyone covering for the owner.

How Do You Build These Systems?

There are a couple of different paths you can take.

One option is to do them yourself slowly over time, little by little. It’s a bit like planting flowers and knowing you need to wait four to six weeks to see them grow. It takes time to pick out the seeds, cultivate the soil, plant, water, fertilizer, nurture before you see results.

The second option is to fast track the process: if you don’t want to wait for the flowers to grow on their own, you could utilize grow lights or some starter plants and get there faster. You can do the same thing with your systems – it saves you the trouble of starting from scratch!

This is what we love helping businesses do. We’ve been there, done that, and love helping businesses build their systems faster using our procedure manuals, templates, and checklists so they don’t have to spend as much time getting their hands dirty and nurturing the plants (or systems) to grow.

You might not always see the benefit of your systems during your day to day, but they really do make a huge difference. Having just lost a family member and having that Peace of Mind while I stepped away made me realize how thankful I am to have created them early on – and how deeply I am committed to helping other business owners have that same level of security. Now that I’m back, I am so fired up about helping business owners get these base systems in place so an assistant can cover for them and keep things running smoothly while they, the owner, can step away (hopefully for happier reasons).

April showers bring May flowers – and I hope you take a little time today to take steps forward to build their systems to grow a better tomorrow!