Who Needs Business Systems?
A person recently asked me, "What do you do for a living?" I replied that I help business owners learn how to develop effective systems and processes. The person responded, "How boring, I feel sorry for you." . . . Ouch! That felt like someone saying something bad about my children.
I guess I am a bit of a freak because I find systems fascinating. They are the secret to all social and scientific advancement and they provide the solution to all of the world's problems. They operate in nature, in societies, in governments, in business and in families. Smart people recognize the importance of systems. Smarter people learn how to use them to their advantage in order to improve the world and their personal lives.
Truthfully, if you aren't attracted to Systems Thinking like iron to a magnet, like bees to honey, like flies to a . . . well you know what I mean, then you really shouldn't be in business. I mean that sincerely. By the way, all three of those attractions are part of nature's amazing systems. They happen for a reason and each provides a positive benefit to the world.
Where is Your Business Today?
Developing effective systems to profitably find and serve customers is the Master Skill of the entrepreneur. System development is critical at every stage of business. So, which of the following describes you?
- Starting a Business - Create essential business systems to organize and structure a new organization that runs smoothly and impresses customers right from the start. If you begin your business as a Systems Thinker, you will never regret it. Systems are your building blocks to success. There is no other way!
- Growing a Business - Effective marketing and sales systems are the catalyst to growth. However, after the euphoria of increased demand, don't slip into crisis mode with inadequate systems for delivering your products and services. Many companies can't handle rapid growth--too many system inputs. Owners lose control. System-breakdowns lead to ruin. Prior systems have to be elevated to increase throughput and keep customers happy. There is no other way!
- Fixing a Business - Most small businesses are filled with mistakes, lost time and rework. Effective systems dramatically reduce waste and inefficiencies. In a tough economy, every penny counts. Look around and you will see sputtering and wasteful business systems everywhere. Most owners and managers are oblivious. Cut out the fat and put more money into the pocket of your stakeholders, and yourself, with smooth-running and effective systems and processes. There is no other way!
- Franchise a Business - Turn your entire business into a self-running system that provides consistent results day after day. Let someone manage it for you, or replicate it in other markets. Once you create your moneymaking machine--and document every procedure--it is easy to do it again and again. Systems enable you to become independent and free of the daily grind. Again, there is no other way!
Do You Have the Entrepreneurial Bug?
You may not need to focus on system development if you are self-employed, a network marketer, or a franchise owner. Self-employed people usually have the systems in their head; they are the system. Network marketers plug into an existing system. Franchise owners buy a business with all of the systems developed, proven, and ready to go. However, they pay a premium for this service.
If you are an entrepreneur, however, you have the bug to create your own unique systems for providing remarkable products and services to your target market. What you are doing is what makes this country great; I applaud your courage!
Final Note and Caution: Don't be fooled into thinking that you can succeed without obedience to the laws that govern success. Don't believe that you can ignore the Law of Cause and Effect--everything happens for a reason. Don't believe that you can build a lasting and profitable business without using high-performance systems and processes to create consistent and predictable results.
Be Smart. Be a Systems Thinker!
Box Theory™ Gold software--ever so close--is a tool for anyone who wants to Start, Grow, Fix or Franchise a business. If you haven't taken my eCourse, check it out at www.BoxTheoryGold.com.
Wishing You Prosperous Times
Ron