With you being an entrepreneur or small business owner, I can assume one thing, and almost always be right. You have too much to do, and too little time to do it. Am I right? If so, then you definitely need to keep reading.

The problem with having this particular issue is that it forces you to work in your business, instead of it. It forces you to do day-to-day tasks, instead of focusing on overall strategy and real money-making activities. You are so bogged down by all the little things, that your business can’t grow, and you eventually burnout. 

While I can’t tell you how to completely eliminate this problem, I can give you one solution that will make your life and business run smoother; systems. That’s right, developing systems for recurring tasks will allow you to automate that busy work, and give you more time to focus on big picture items.

To start, it’s important to note that while there are systems for different things, and they can be setup in multiple ways, systems have certain qualities to truly be considered a system.

• It happens routinely
• It happen automatically
• It solves a problem
• It doesn’t require constant attention

Like I said, systems can be created for various aspects of business, everything from bookkeeping to email marketing or appointment scheduling to social media posting. Developing systems for your business happens in three steps.

1. Identify the problem: Figure out the tasks that require a lot of time, need to be done on a regular basis, and /or drive you crazy. Those are the tasks that should be considered for systemization.
2. Plan the process: A system is simple a process that takes place in a sequential order. What does the process look like for your specific problem? If it’s getting new subscribers into a list, the process should start with an opt-in form, and the typical next step is a welcome email, but your process doesn’t have to stop there. They can be funneled into a nurture campaign. Whatever you want your process to look like, write it out and make sure it makes sense.
3. Execute the plan: Once you’ve planned out your process, determine what needs to be done in order to actually put the plan into effect. You may be able to execute the plan all on your own, but in some cases you may need to hire a consultant for a certain portion, or bring in other departments within your company.
4. Check your system: This is crucial. Even though you went through the planning process first, it is always a good idea to check on your system after it has begun running to make sure everything is flowing smoothly. If something seems to be jammed up or you’re not getting your desired result, that means you need to go back to the plan, and see where a change needs to be made.

It may seem like a lot to do in the beginning, but once you have the systems fully built out and in place, you’ll save a ton of time in the long run. Don’t let the front-end work stop you from building out as many systems as possible. When you have a small business, the less time you have to spend on tedious, recurring tasks, the better. These systems will free up the time that you need to effectively grow your business.