Almost every small business owner can identify with the feeling of overwhelming chaos—from time to time, anyway. I’ve worked with many business owners and can testify firsthand that the nature of running a small business can make it very difficult to stay organized.
But… the vast majority of business owners don’t like that feeling of chaos. They know that their business is more effective and more profitable when it is operating in a smooth, organized fashion. So why does chaos so often take over? One reason is that while many business owners want to be organized, they don’t take steps to actually make it happen. If you want to eliminate chaos from your business, you need to be willing to work at it! Below are four steps to help you do just that.
1) Set specific goals. Identify the specific processes that you want to get control over. Perhaps it’s your accounting, or your inventory controls, or your customer service system. Whatever the case may be, set a specific goal – such as “ensure that all customer service inquiries are properly routed and handled within one business day.”
2) Create systems. Once you’ve identified your goals, create step-by-step systems to make them happen. Think of this as creating an “instruction manual” for the job – a step-by-step process that you can follow which will result in the organization and efficiency that you are hoping for. An example could be creating a “flow chart” which indicates how various types of customer service inquires should be handled, and by whom.
3) Execute – or delegate. Now you have to execute the system. Or, if possible, delegate it to an employee or a contractor. It’s important that whoever is responsible for the execution sticks to the system that you created in the previous step.
4) Evaluate your progress. Finally, regularly evaluate your progress. Is your new system eliminating the chaos and providing the results you hoped for? If so, great – keep it up! If not, make changes as necessary.
Even the most chaotic and complex business environments can be organized and systematized – but it won’t happen automatically! Taking control of a complex business requires a deliberate effort on your part. If you’d like to learn more, or if you’d like some help with this process, please get in touch with me today!