I get it, a big draw for creative entrepreneurship is that ever elusive freedom everyone is lusting after. I remember being at my day job day dreaming about what my life would look like when I no longer had to adhere to someone else’s schedule. A lot of people envision flitting from coffee shop to coffee shop, meeting interesting people and hammering out the work they love. Some hope their days will be filled with Netflix watching and sun bathing. The latter tend to find their businesses belly up in the first few weeks (probably getting a better tan then they are…), but that’s only because it takes work to build that kind of flexibility into your business. My dream week is a beautiful blend of those two visions. Some days I hustle hard. Other days I don’t want to get out of bed. So, I needed to figure out a way to make that happen. Enter: systems & processes.
SYSTEMS & PROCESSES UNLOCK FREEDOM IN CREATIVE ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Those two words: systems & processes have become such sexy buzz words in the entreprneur community that I’m afraid no one reallys know what they mean. They just know two things: they sound official, and they need them. Before I started my first business, I devoured episodes of the Being Boss podcast. This was back in 2015/16 when they first launched, and I’d listen to Emily and Kathleen chat while I swept someone else’s floor, dreaming about someday. I wanted to be prepared for someday. As prepared as possible. And if I learned anything listening to those bosses, I knew I needed systems & processes. But like…what exactly? I craved specifics. I needed details. Systems where? Processes for what?
SYSTEMS & PROCESSES: WHAT EXACTLY ARE THEY?
Your system keeps things running smoothly, like canned emails that allow for a rapid reply with a few quick edits or project templates in ASANA. Systems are your own personal business hacks. They help you be efficient and consistent. They’re the little automated favors you create for your business that make your life easier. I like to think of my systems as my little robotic assistants. Your process is your method of operation; it’s how you do things. Think of it this way, your process should be documented in a way that should you (likely the sole individual in your business initially) were to fall suddenly ill, your processes would instruct someone with no prior knowledge of your business how to operate it.
WHERE YOU NEED THEM & WHY
In my humble opinion, you need either one or the other or both in pretty much every aspect of your business. But here are a few key places you may need/want systems and processes and why.
Communication. You need both a system and a process in place for your communication: all of it. From inquiries to your final client meeting. Communication, in my experience, is one of the biggest time sucks in business. It’s vital, unavoidable. But if I spent one more day drowning in my inbox, never getting any actual work done, I was going to lose my mind. (Oh wait…I did…)
Packaged offerings//DOING THE WORK. You might be able to create and establish some systems here, like the aforementioned project templates. Maybe you are able to create design templates or a coaching structure map or any kind of thing that might make doing the work a bit easier for yourself. But what you definitely need here is a process. For your own sake and especially for your client’s sake (which really, is for your sake, let’s be honest). Having a process here will change your relationship with your business. And better yet, it’ll change the way your clients view your business. Whether you have one packaged offering or 15, create a process for each one. A process allows you and your client to know what to expect throughout their relationships with your business. It communicates credibility and earns trust. With a process, you’re able to ascertain the life cycle of a client which helps you determine your bandwidth and allows you to plan strategically.
Marketing/Social Media. Systems here are good. Having a some canned, recyclable posts, graphic templates and a general post structure to follow are all helpful. But a process here is vital. Do you follow a posting schedule? (i.e. motivational Monday, tip Tuesday, etc) What is your brand voice? Do you have a certain structure for your posts? An email marketing schedule? Figure out how you do this (or how you want to do this) and create a process around it.
Roles. Okay, so it might just be you in your business right now. But hey! Dream big! Like dressing for the job you want to have, dress your business up as the business you want it to become. Even if it’s just you, establish roles. Sure, you might wear all the hats, but you probably won’t always. Establish a process for the different roles (or departments) in your business. How does the work get done across the board? Further more, a benefit here is, even if you wear all the hats, this helps you establish boundaries within your business. Once you start hiring, it allows your employees and team members to establish boundaries as well. And let me tell you, this is crucial.
Business day. Both systems and processes will play a role in your standard business day. Think through everything you do on a daily basis and see where you can simplify (i.e introduce systems) and document the general operations (i.e. establish your process).
The short answer as to why you need these things is pretty simple: systems save you time and keep things operating efficiently, processes establish and maintain consistency in your business regardless of who is at the helm.
If you’re like, dude…I gotta get some systems and processes into my business stat, I’ve got you covered. I’ve designed this in-depth guide to help you create your own custom systems & processes and implement them into your business. So, what are you waiting for? Grab your free guide! 👇🏻
Ooh girl. I am learning this as we speak!