Life is ironic, isn’t it? You quit your J-O-B because — deep down — you’ve always been unemployable. You carve your own path. You fly by the seat of your pants, and you do NOT like being told what you must do and when.
Then, you open your doors — be they brick and mortar or online — and business is good. For a while. Suddenly, and way under the radar, your business becomes the hardest driving boss you ever thought about having. What was once your liberator becomes your warden. You’re working longer and harder than ever before.
Someone hands you a copy of The E-Myth, and you roll your eyes. Who has TIME to create systems when you’re under water in work, employee issues, tax considerations, and more? Besides, you’re not the systems type.
YEEE-UPPP. I’ve been there.
While I’ve still not read The E-Myth all the way through, I HAVE set up systems in my business. I’ve learned that businesses CAN provide the freedom you want, but you have to be DELIBERATE about creating systems that support such freedom. You have to be willing to put in a bunch of time up front to create the engines that keep leads coming in and clients being created.
Quick example: I “batch” my work — especially my content creation. So, I’m writing this on a Saturday afternoon after a LONG HOT DAY at the ball field. Because the engines of my business run without me, while I was sweating my butt off and cheering on my daughter, THREE new clients were created in my absence. Money in the bank. Products digitally delivered. Systems proven profitable.
Anyway, we DO have a love / hate relationship with systems. We LOVE them because they give us the FREEDOM we want. We HATE them because, well… they’re SYSTEMS. Boring, job-related, systems.
But, I IMPLORE you to create them anyway. Start now. Don’t know where to start? Try creating systems for any of the following:
CORRAL SCRIPTS and regularly used templates, email replies, etc. Compile them in ONE file. Don’t keep looking them up in your email box. This is an easy “system” to start with.
PROSPECT INTAKE SYSTEM. What is happening now? Start there. Do clients call you and you set up a complimentary sales consult? Do you email a questionnaire? Write out an ideal way to receive prospects?
CLIENT WELCOME SYSTEM. When you sign a new client or patient, what happens next? What IDEALLY happens next? Spell it out, step by step.
CONTENT SYSTEM. When will you plan the content? who will create the image to go with it? When will you film, record or write the content? who will post it? how will you market it so others find it? Again, spell it out, step by step.
What has been the BEST system you’ve set up in your own business? What made the most difference? Share below in the comments!
