Do you have sound systems set up for your business?
If you had to get someone else to do a task for you, would they have a clear process to follow and be able to get it done? If you answered no to either of those questions, then it’s time to review anything you do regularly in your business and get a process in place.
But, how do you set those good processes up?
Well, the key is finding what works for your business.
Let’s look at why implementing systems is a good idea and how you might do it.
Business Practices 101: How To Build Good Practices
Good Systems = Better Business
Having good systems in your business is vital for streamlining your workflow and smooth operation. Good systems in your business can help to:
Make things consistent
As a business owner, there’s a lot to juggle. It’s easy to forget things or do things slightly differently each time which can cause issues. Having a process written down for key tasks ensures that everything is done the same way each time.
Following a clear process creates uniformity for your record keeping and daily activities. This is particularly important if the process relates to something customer-facing in your business, as it helps customers have a consistent experience.
Save you time
No one likes to waste time. And time is one of your most precious business resources. Having clear processes for tasks that you do regularly helps you to get those jobs done efficiently. This will end up saving you time as you won’t have to think about how the job should be done - you just follow the process!
Allow you to share tasks or outsource
Outsourcing repetitive tasks or tasks that would be better done by a qualified person is a great idea for small businesses. But as a business owner, it can be hard to let those tasks go. However, if you have clear systems and processes written out, you can share these with confidence, knowing that the job will be completed in the correct way.
Make record keeping easier
Keeping accurate records is important so that you fully understand the position of your business and are able to present information to any interested parties. When you have clear systems in place, everything is covered, giving you more accurate records.
What sort of things might you want systems for?
There are many areas in your business that will benefit from having clear systems. These can include customer onboarding, stock control and inventory management, marketing and dealing with complaints or chasing non-payment of invoices.
You can also systemise many of your money-related processes, including payroll, sending and chasing invoices, paying suppliers and bank reconciliations.
Basically, anything that follows a step-by-step process should have a formalised system in place.
How to set up systems for your business
You are probably already using a lot of systems and processes in your business. It’s just that you might not have them written down yet. Now is the time to remedy that!
The first step is to make a rough note of the steps in your process. Once you have it written down loosely, you can refine the steps to make it work better.
Once you have a final written version, it can be a good idea to ask someone else to follow your process as a test to see how clear it is. You can also look at what automation you can add in to make the process easier. For bookkeeping example you might want to look at moving your accounting to online software like Xero or MYOB to make record keeping easier.
Once you have your processes in place, make sure you document them and create a centralised point for you and your team to access them. This gives everyone who might be involved in the process a point of reference and makes it easy to share the tasks with any third party.
An ICNZB Bookkeeper can help you get those processes in order
If your business needs a hand getting those processes set up, refined or just someone who you can rely on to get the tasks done regularly, then talk to an ICNZB bookkeeper. A bookkeeper can help you with payroll, accounts payable and receivable, GST and bank reconciliations among other tasks.
All our members are fully trained and must agree to abide by our Code of Ethical Conduct so you can have peace of mind that you are working with someone competent and reliable. We also offer ongoing professional development to help our members keep up-to-date with the latest developments and bookkeeping methods.
To find a bookkeeper for your business, simply search our Find a Bookkeeper directory. You’ll find profiles for all our members along with their qualifications and any specialisations and the area they cover if you are looking for someone local.