If you are just starting out on your entrepreneurial journey, congrats! We know it can seem overwhelming to think about what systems you need in place to get going. This post will help you start out on the right foot.
With that in mind, sometimes you don’t know what you need until you are further down the road into your business. Plus, as you start seeing success and have an increase in work, you will likely start to feel some pain points in how things run. And, if you are looking to scale your business, you will need to make sure your processes are clear before you bring in other people or ramp up the volume of work.
So, back to pain points. What do we mean by that? We mean things that start to feel “blah” or “sticky”. For example, you may be taking up too much brain space trying to remember all of the steps you take when you onboard a new client. That process may also be mostly manual, making you feel like you don’t have time to do what it is you started your business to do! Insert any number of similar situations.
I can see you cringe, hear your heart race a tiny bit faster, and watch your forehead scrunch up as you think about these things in your business. Before you fully roll your eyes, take a minute to read our Systems Thrive Guide below to learn what types of systems help bring back your regularly scheduled breathing.
The More You Systems Thrive Guide
These are the five types of systems most of the 30+ entrepreneurs we have worked with need, at a minimum.
# 1 Password Management System
This is a crucial part of making sure your business is cyber safe, yet it is often overlooked. We have implemented this for many of our clients, so if you don’t have one yet, no stress. It is an easy fix!
Without one secure place to keep all of your passwords, many people use the same few passwords for all of their systems. This is high risk because if one system with that password is compromised, you’ll have to change ALL of your passwords. It is highly recommended to use a unique password for every website or system and to use a service like LastPass to keep track of them securely.
Let’s also say that when you first start out, you are the only one using these new passwords for business-related systems or websites. But then, you add in a contractor, a team member, or a bookkeeper, and now you need to share these passwords. Instead of emailing or texting sensitive info or listening to them struggle to try to decipher “b” instead of “e” on a phone call, you can simply share passwords securely through the system.
As a bonus, you can use the same account for your personal passwords and share it with your family members.
We love LastPass, especially when you use browser extensions. Every time you create a new account online the password and username can be automatically saved with one simple click. You also can fill in your current credentials with a handy dropdown. Plus, it is easy to use and implement. There are other similar systems out there. The bottom line is to pick one and set it up today!
#2 Online Filing System
You definitely want to take the time to get organized on this, especially if you don’t have a good system for keeping track of your electronic files. This is a true case of return on time invested. It takes time to get organized, but in the long run, it will save you so much more time.
If you have some of your files in emails, some in Google Drive, and some saved on your desktop, the amount of time it takes you to find what you need each time you need it will take longer, plus it is eating up brain space.
Having all of your files in one place will help you be and feel more put together making your days flow smoother.
If you have files saved on your desktop, let’s get those moved over to a filing system ASAP. You truly never know when your computer will decide it is breaking up with you. It’s never a good time, but if you then have to worry about losing files, the heartbreak will be doubled! Save all important documents in a cloud-based filing system.
You likely know the two most common systems: Google Drive and Dropbox. If your business emails are through Gmail, Google Drive is the obvious choice, and it is our personal favorite for its ease in collaborating on documents.
You may also have a CRM system where you store information pertaining to certain clients. This works too as long as you have an easy process for what gets stored there versus your online filing system. See more on CRMs below.
A quick note related to this topic. You aren’t going to download and save emails in your online filing system because that’s not an efficient use of time, but a good process for managing your inbox can also make your life easier. If you are a Gmail user, here is a quick video to help with inbox organization using labels and icons.
#3 Financial Management System / Process
If you are a business, you will send invoices, pay bills, reconcile bank accounts, and track expenses. Make sure you have this process dialed in so you know when and how you will manage these tasks.
A lot of businesses use Quickbooks Online, and it is an amazing system. Freshbooks and Honeybook are also great options. We are partial to Dubsado* for small businesses because these features are already part of your CRM. That means one less system to learn and purchase (see more on CRMs below).
Once you have your system in place, make sure your process is documented. Using a project management system is a great place to store this (see more on PMIS below). This minimizes the time needed because you won’t have to remember the steps each time. Plus, set designated times to do this so you aren’t always worrying about when you will fit it in.
If managing this is taking up too much time or precious mental capacity, hire a bookkeeper like J. Strong Bookkeeping to take this off your plate. They can handle as much or as little of this process as you’d like, and their services are usually reasonably priced.
Bonus resource: If you are in need of some money management support, check out Profit First. We found it to be really helpful in terms of thinking and becoming profitable!
*This is an affiliate link. You’ll receive 20% off your first month or year if you do sign up using that URL.
#4 Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
This is one of my favorite types of systems. A CRM system is a central hub for all of your client information. Your haphazardly updated Excel list of clients and leads can be retired. By inputting all of your client information in one spot you not only save time, but you also gain the opportunity to add in some fun automation.
A CRM system allows you to store all client and lead details like their name, contact info, birthday, call notes, and other business contacts who are connected to them. But a good CRM system will take it one step further. You can build workflows that automatically send things to your clients once they complete an action.
For example, if a lead fills out an online interest form, the system can store their details then send them an automated thank you email with a link to schedule a discovery call. Or, let’s say down the road that lead signs a contract, the system can send out a welcome email with their onboarding questionnaire. All of this is fully customizable for your business and can trigger an email to you to approve it before it goes out if you are new to automation and a bit hesitant.
Workflows and automation can take a while to set up, but the ease that you are creating down the road, especially if you have a high volume of leads or clients, is immeasurable. And, one less obvious benefit is that it creates trust, shows professionalism, and ensures timely customer service right from the start of your sales process.
If you simply don’t have the time, contact us to see how we can help!
Our favorite CRM system for entrepreneurs is Dubsado*. It can serve as a hub for your whole business and reduce the number of systems you need to purchase. We’ve already mentioned the invoicing and transaction recording plus it has some light reporting for your bookkeeping.
You can add up to three other users with your paid account so your bookkeeper can have access to what they need and so can any team member. Plus, you stay on the free version until you get up to three clients. You can set it up when just starting out to see if the system works well for you before buying a subscription.
The system also has online signature capabilities for contracts and proposals. Scheduling links are also available. Learn more about why we love Dubsado in this previous blog post.
We are also a Certified Dubsado Specialist if you need any assistance getting set up or building workflows!
*We are an affiliate with Dubsado so we may receive a commission if you sign up using the links in this article. Plus, we’ll share some of the savings…you’ll receive 30% off your first month or year. 🎊 When you sign up for Dubsado, you get to enjoy the free version until you get 3 clients. This gives you as long as you need to get things set up before you start paying. 🎊 🎊
#5 Project Management System (PMIS)
Depending on your type of work, you may not need a full-blown PMIS, but we think everyone can benefit from an online task list even when only used for personal to-dos.
I personally use Trello for my own to-do list. Check out this video to see how I set that up. We also use a Trello board as our playbook for all business resources so the links to those files are all in one spot for our entire team.
For full projects like a website build or a marketing initiative, there are more extensive systems that allow for project templates to be added to a task list for every new project. You can assign tasks to individuals on your team with due dates.
There are a lot of other features like risk management, time management, notebooks, and project link tabs. The best part is it allows you, as the business owner, to have full insight into the project at any time, even if your team is virtual.
We use Teamwork but are lately loving ClickUp. Asana is also a popular system.
Bonus System - Loom
If you haven’t used Loom yet, check it out! It is a video and screen recording system. The free version allows you to record videos for up to five minutes. It is the perfect tool to use to record short messages to clients or share quick how-tos for your team members.
Depending on your business model, you may also need other systems for specific uses. For example, you may need an email management platform such as MailChimp or a course system like Teachable.
If any of this has caused your belly to do some somersaults, take a deep breath, and get in touch with us. We love this work! We will share best practices, help you strategize around your systems already in use, and implement any new ones for you.
Learn all about our services or click below to skip right to setting up a time to chat.
You may have all of these up and running for your business, or you may want to implement most of them. Either way, we hope this Systems Thrive Guide helps you find more time, more space, and more “you” in your business!