Growing Your Business

http://www.howtostartownbusiness.co.uk/growing-your-business/ Rather than having a business where you work longer and harder, we want your business to be scalable so you’re working smarter as time goes by.

The three parts to Today’s topics is: 1) Systemise Processes, 2) Automate Processes, 3) Outsource Processes

1) Systemise Processes

Quite often from day one you may be doing all the roles in your business. You may have to go and make purchases and be in charge of selling, the marketing, doing the bookkeeping, or all the tasks just to keep yourself afloat in those early years. But I want you, as you do start, to start identifying: What are the different roles that you are undertaking? You don't want to be doing all tasks as time goes by. You eventually want to delegate to others to be able to do it. How can I do it if it’s all in your head? You want to be able to record and document each of the roles.

Remember, many of the tasks you do have dependencies:

• outside dependencies
• internal dependencies

All of these are collective information that we walk around with inside our head. It would be so much easier and transparent if, as you’re going along, you’re either documenting in written form or using video or recording verbally so you’ve got a record of what is required so that you can pass it on to the next person quickly and easily and start thinking of your business that way. Ideally, you should be able to walk away from your business and it runs without you. And then you may want to create another business.

2) Automate Processes

I want to give you an example. When was the last time you looked in the telephone book for somebody's phone number whether it was business or personal? I can’t remember the last time. It’s become like an outdated process. And so if you're still running outdated processes your business will suffer.

Much of the technology that is now available can change your life and your lifestyle and free up the time for you to do what you’re best to concentrate on. Automation is the key to freedom in your business. I guess what I'm trying to say is that you want to create a funnel where people can find you 24 hours a day. They can get to know you via video. You may want to send them a report or have an e-book available for them so they can find out more about you your business and the services and products that are on offer. And once they get to know you and understand you, they’re more likely to want to do business with you. That is the key difference now. It’s a reason why social media for example is being used very much by corporate businesses to promote themselves. Online recommendations of others are a word-of-mouth. It’s also a way to transfer your knowledge so that people therefore don't have to give you a phone call. Maybe they’re too busy, but in a time that’s convenient to them the information that you provide can get them to know and understand you.