Small businesses face many challenges in their operations – one of the biggest being the lack of processes. Incredibly, only 4% of businesses measure, manage, and improve their processes, which leads to problems that become increasingly complicated as your company grows.
Problems With Not Having Processes in Your Business
A business without processes will be inefficient, lack scalability, and have reduced profits. Also, the lack of processes leads to little or no accountability and wasted resources, further getting in the way of success. This is especially true in a small business environment that often relies on a limited number of people doing multiple roles.
If processes are so important, then why do so many businesses avoid creating, implementing, and improving processes that could literally make all the difference in a competitive market?
It could be that owners don’t enjoy creating processes, or it may seem overwhelming, or even unnecessary to have processes in place. Unfortunately, these “reasons” don’t remove the need for processes. And without them, the business could get into trouble.
How will you know if you need to improve processes? Here are some signs.
Symptoms of Needing Process Improvement:
Struggling to finish projects on time
Mistakes are being made
Scope creep is cutting into profit
Difficulty growing the business
High employee turnover
Frustration from clients and/or employees
Inconsistent work from multiple employees in the same role
Challenges in internal communication
Overwhelming amount of email
Using email as a project management tool
Difficulty stepping into the work of a team member who leaves
Constantly switching between software programs to figure out what’s next
Repeatedly responding to the squeakiest wheel
Interrupted thought process due to client updates
A lack of control of your life
The benefits of process improvement go beyond directing tasks and fixing specific problems in the company. Process improvement drives improvement in team cohesion, retention rates, and new growth opportunities.
Benefits of Process Improvement:
Proactively manage projects to successful completion
Happy clients who trust your work and want to keep working together
A significant decrease in email volume
Increased employee satisfaction and retention
Improved communication and clear actions for all
Consistent company branding and experience provided to all prospects and clients
Reaching company growth goals
Regaining control and balance in your personal life
You got into business to be successful! To ensure that success, invest in creating a process system that outlines the steps for each operation and keeps the team accountable for delivering results. You’ll be able to plan ahead and scale your operations to meet your customers’ needs.
How to Get Started
The easiest way to move forward is to get an outside perspective.
Take a free Operations Audit to receive personalized recommendations on where to start – without the overwhelm.
Learn the fundamental processes all businesses need on page 4 of this ebook, 3 Ways to Control Chaos in Your Small Business.
Beyond the Chaos works with and for you to improve your processes through consulting and implementation. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Reach out for a free and confidential consultation today.
Or, register for the Business Transitions Summit on May 2, 2023, and come listen to Susan Fennema’s session, “Why It Pays to Document Your Systems Now.”
Don’t let a lack of process improvement slow you down or take over your business and life.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tom Bronson is the founder and President of Mastery Partners, a company that helps business owners maximize business value, design exit strategy, and transition their business on their terms. Mastery utilizes proven techniques and strategies that dramatically improve business value that was developed during Tom’s career 100 business transactions as either a business buyer or seller. As a business owner himself, he has been in your situation a hundred times, and he knows what it takes to craft the right strategy. Bronson is passionate about helping business owners and has the experience to do it. Want to chat more or think Tom can help you? Reach out at tom@masterypartners.com or check out his book, Maximize Business Value, Begin with The Exit in Mind (2020).
Mastery Partners, where our mission is to equip business owners to Maximize Business Value so they can transition their business on their terms. Our mission was born from the lessons we’ve learned from over 100 business transactions, which fuels our desire to share our experiences and wisdom so you can succeed.