5 Myths About Business Systems

As a business owner, you want your business to run as smoothly and efficiently as possible. You may have been told about the importance of creating systems for your business, but with lots of myths out there, it’s hard to know fact from fiction. Let’s dispel five business systems myths that you may have heard.

What are the most common myths about business systems?

There are many myths about business systems, and as a business owner, knowing what to believe can be difficult. Five of the most common myths about business systems are:

• You need to create hundreds of systems to systemise a business.
• Creating systems is time consuming.
• The business owner is the only person who can create systems in a business.
• You need to invest in complex and expensive software to create systems.
• Systems are only for big companies.

You may have heard of some or all of these myths, so let’s take a look at each of the 5 business systems myths in more detail. This will help you to understand more about creating systems for your business, look at what might be holding you back and help you to create a plan to move forward with systemising your business.

Myth 1: You need to create hundreds of systems to systemise a business

When talking with other business owners, you may have got the impression that to systemise your business it would be a mammoth effort requiring hundreds of systems to be created. It’s no surprise that this would feel daunting, and may have been one of the reasons why you have put off creating systems in the first place.

There is no need to create hundreds of systems for your business. It’s all about developing the right systems for your business. The ones that have the greatest impact and give you the most tangible value and benefits. How many systems you need to create really comes down to the size of your team, how fast you want your business to grow, what processes within your business would benefit from the most consistency and your overall business goals. 

Myth 2: Creating systems is time-consuming

Creating systems for your business does take some time, but it may not be as time consuming as you first thought. It’s also important to consider what time is being wasted with not having documented systems in your business. The opportunity cost of having to complete the same tasks over and over, with no set systems and processes in place could be increasing waste within your business and causing decreased productivity or other inefficiencies.

Myth 3: The business owner is the only one who can create the systems

While at first the business owner seems to be the logical choice for creating business systems, they don’t have to be the main person who oversees the process or who creates the actual systems. At times the owner may be required to add input or to extract information from as part of the system creation process. However delegating to another team member will allow the business owner to focus on doing what they do best and empower an employee to step up and take ownership of systemising the business.

Client Stories

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"I thought it was really good, I was lucky enough in the first couple of meetings which were only an hour if my time a week, and then I was able to, or you were able to, I guess, pinpoint who the key people were within my business that could do some of those meetings for me, work with you to formulate that kind of process. So, the burden wasn't, I guess, put on one person to sort of do a week in, week out. But even so, it was still only an hour of people's time. So, it worked out really well"

- Ryan Carter

Learn more

Myth 4: You need to invest in expensive and complex software

Starting out with simple, easy-to-use documents or spreadsheets can be just as effective as using more expensive software or technology. When first getting started, it is more important to focus on documenting your processes and creating the systems than getting caught up in what software you should be using. As systems continue to evolve and you have strong foundations in place, you may then look to upgrade to more complex software in the future. 

Myth 5: Systems are only for big companies

While big companies need to have systems in place to ensure consistency and accuracy, it is equally important to create the same environment in any size business. If you want your business to function effectively, with or without you (the business owner) to be there, or if you have key staff on leave or away unwell, then having systems in place will help to ensure that things continue to run smoothly.

Do you want to invest in systemising your business? We could help you take the first step by taking our 2-minute Systems Strength Test! Click here to start.

Allowing for creativity vs using systems in your business

It’s often thought that if you implement systems within your business that your employees will lose their ability to embrace their creativity. However in contrast, if you don’t have systems set up, your employees may be overworked by having to constantly reinvent the wheel, and have little time left to be creative. By implementing systems within your business, employees will have clearer expectations and strong foundations that will provide them with the confidence to plan ahead and display their creativity when required.

When is the right time to systemise your business?

Once you understand the importance of systemising your business to free up time to perform other important tasks or be able to step out of the business, it’s time to consider when you should systemise your business.

Knowing when is the right time to systemise your business can begin by simply reflecting on whether you think your business could perform better than it currently is. Every business suffers from some form of inefficiency and only those who are successful in minimising it become long-term profitable ventures.

Take a closer look and try asking yourself:

- Are you constantly seeing errors and rework by employees or yourself?

- Are your business goals being achieved?

- Is it taking too long to perform certain tasks?

- Are you feeling a sense of overwhelm and that your business is out of control?

- Does your business rely too heavily on you being there for it to run effectively?

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, now might be the time to chat to our experienced Systemologists and business coaches, who can help you create systems and processes in your business. 

Every day that you wait is costing you time and money. One of the best ways to maximise productivity and reduce business waste (due to inefficiencies) is by fine-tuning the business systems and processes that keep it running. Whether you are in the early stages of business or have been in business for a long time, it’s never too late to systemise your business.

Are you ready to help your business grow? Book a complimentary consultation to discuss systemising your business today.