If 100 clients order your services today, would you be able to handle them all? If you’re not a service based business, replace the word services with program, offering, or course, and answer the same question. If you answered yes, then you likely have a good model in place to scale your business. However, if you answered no, let’s talk about what you need to change in your business to better scale. You know, if that’s something you are thinking about doing.
Systems and Procedures
Evaluate the current systems that you have in place. Are they documented? Are they efficient? Are they repeatable? For example, if a stranger walked into your business and took over would they be able to follow your current systems and procedures with no issues?
If you answered no to all of the above, then it’s highly likely that you need to begin documenting your systems and procedures in your business. It’s one thing to have it all in your head, but if you want to be able to scale you need to write it out so that others can help you in your business. A team of one cannot manage a fully scaled business.
GOAL: Make a list of all your systems and document them as Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
Your Role
What is your role in the business? Are you leading? Are you doing? Are you holding up progress? Will you become a bottleneck if your business grows? All very good questions and the latter, is likely possible if you want to be the one to touch and own every area in your business. In the words of the eldest sister of Arendelle, Let It Go.
Make a list, starting with the things that you absolutely love doing. Everything else is meh. Okay, maybe everything else isn’t meh, but it should be if you want to be a CEO vs an implementer. I have a love it, like it, meh list that I can share with you to get those things down on paper. Figure out what it is that you want to continuously hold responsibility for and then move onto the next step, team players.
GOAL: Define the role you want to play in your business. Bottleneck should not be on that list.
Team Players
Do you have an online business manager or virtual assistant? Is there a team of resources that handles different portions of your business? Does everybody understand the role that they play in the overall business? If you were to take a vacation, could your business still operate as designed? (To clarify, by designed I mean still generate revenue and not come to a complete halt.)
Does you business stop when you stop working? If so, you need a new business model and a team that can go with it. Remember that list that I said you should write previously. Start there to figure out the tasks and assignments that you need to dole out to others. And if you need help delegating or hiring help, an Online Business Manager or experienced Virtual Assistant can help you with that.
GOAL: Develop your winning team. Bonus, if they can function even when the CEO is on a remote island, sipping margaritas. and not checking in every two seconds.
Marketing/Funnels
The SOPs are in place. You are doing what you love. The team is ready for more. Now what? Where are all your customers/clients lining up to find you? Is it easy for them to contact you? Is it easy for them to sign up for your service, offering, course, or program?
Emails, landing pages, funnels, social media — are you using all or some of these platforms to generate leads for your business? Or to teach others about your business because let’s face it, everybody doesn’t buy the first time they interact with your business unless it was from a stellar referral. Know how people are finding you. Develop the ideal customer experience. Ensure leads have a way of connecting, learning more, or signing up for your freebie or newsletter.
GOAL: What’s your customer flow? Know it, monitor it, optimize it when it’s not generating the right leads or enough leads.
Your Virtual Asset @ Outsource Mondays
Love it, like it, meh. What do you love to do in your business? Let me know down below. And if you need some help figuring out all the other things that should be in the meh list and outsourced, grab my ‘Productivity Sheets’ here.