Articles Archives - Hybrid Business Advisors

How To Create Business Systems

Posted on by Joan Nowak

Systems and procedures rarely excite business owners initially. However, their perspectives often change once they implement these systems and witness the results. Are you interested in cultivating a team that is both productive and consistently delivers high-quality service? Or perhaps you want a business that operates efficiently and profitably with minimal effort? If so, it’s crucial to prioritize systems and procedures.

Why Business Systems Should Not Be Overlooked.

Business systems are essentially structured routines applied to tasks. Just as parents use morning and bedtime routines to manage stress and ensure they get to work on time, business systems create a similar structure. Despite this, many small business owners neglect them.

There is a common misconception that only large enterprises or franchises require such systems. Owners often say, “We’re small, we communicate directly, and everyone knows their responsibilities”. This might be true initially when it’s just you or a few employees.

But what happens as your business grows, bringing in more customers or new staff members? What happens when employees leave, taking their acquired knowledge with them? How will you manage when you want to delegate or outsource tasks? And what happens when you, as the owner, wish to take a two-week vacation with your family?

If you desire a profitable business that functions efficiently in your presence or absence, it’s time to prioritize business systems.

Initiating the Process.

Here’s the best advice I can offer based on my experience with clients: focus on one procedure at a time. Although you will eventually compile a comprehensive manual, the idea of creating an entire manual can be overwhelming. Instead, set a goal to document, communicate, and implement one system or procedure each week (or another timeframe suitable for you).

This strategy keeps you focused on manageable tasks, allows for incremental changes, and delivers quicker results. Clients often find that each new procedure they develop and implement brings improvements in efficiency, productivity, and profitability.

An 8-Step Guide to Creating Systems.

#1 – Identify Triggers: Most processes begin with specific events in your business. Examples include acquiring a new lead or customer, receiving a bill, needing to hire a new employee, handling customer complaints, scheduling service appointments, ordering supplies, or preparing quotes. Start by listing the various events in your business.

#2 – Prioritize the Events: When documenting procedures, start with those most crucial to your operations. Focus on processes that generate revenue, save time, currently cause poor customer service, or result in duplicated efforts among your team. Essentially, address the issues that require immediate attention or incur costs.

#3 – Document the Process: Once you select a process to document, gather all relevant documents and information, whether in paper, digital, or software form. Write down the steps involved in performing the task. Keep it straightforward and reference supporting documents or programs as needed. The best individuals to document a procedure are those who regularly execute it.

#4 – Refine the Steps: The goal of developing systems is to create repeatable processes regardless of who performs the task. Initial drafts often have missing or unclear steps, making replication difficult. I suggest giving the written process to someone unfamiliar with the task and asking them to follow it based on your documentation. This will help identify gaps, allowing you to refine the procedure for clarity and completeness.

#5 – Measure Success: Determine how you will evaluate the success of your procedure. For example, sales conversion rates can assess a sales process. If you want to improve your business, measuring outcomes is essential – because what gets measured can be improved.

#6 – Formalize the Procedure: Once finalized, type up the procedure, assign a title (and possibly a code), and save it in a computer folder. Ensure all supporting documents are included.

#7 – Communicate and Implement: After completing a procedure, introduce it to those who will use it. Print and review the procedure, discussing how success will be measured. Encourage feedback and suggestions for improvement.

#8 – Monitor and Adapt: Technology and other factors, including innovation, will offer opportunities for improvement. Use feedback, metrics, and other information to enhance procedures. Be willing to adjust your systems when you identify improvement opportunities.

Developing systems takes time, but each documented and implemented procedure will enhance efficiency, productivity, and profitability. As you start to see the benefits and results, you too will come to appreciate systems.

And here is another benefit many of us realized when the pandemic hit — having systems documented made pivoting a lot easier. Here’s a related article you may also find helpful: Business Systems to Build Profit as You Grow

Maximizing Business Potential with Systems.

If you are serious about optimizing your business with systems and need practical, step-by-step instructions, consider my Ultimate Guide for Systems and Procedures. This guide is tailored specifically for small business owners, offering templates and examples to make the process straightforward.

Are You Ready to Propel Your Business to Success?

Would partnering with a business coach help you elevate your business – improve efficiency, grow revenue, and increase profits? Then let’s have a conversation. Click here to schedule a free discovery call today.

Choosing the Best Marketing Strategies

Posted on by Joan Nowak

Is expanding your customer base your top goal for the upcoming year? The encouraging news is that you have a lot of methods at your disposal to generate leads and foster new connections. However, with such a vast array of choices, it’s no surprise that small business owners often feel overwhelmed. Selecting the most effective marketing strategies for your business is crucial to attracting more customers — and doing so profitably.

Reviewing past performance can serve as a valuable starting point. Begin by analyzing your previous marketing strategies, focusing on three key aspects: the volume of leads generated, the quality of those leads, and your return on investment. If a particular strategy is yielding positive results, continue with it.

Conversely, if your current methods aren’t producing high-quality sales, it’s time to explore alternative strategies and incorporate new techniques into your marketing mix.

7 Questions to Select the Best Marketing Strategies.

Which products or services should I prioritize in my promotions? It’s unnecessary to promote every product or service you offer. Concentrate on those that are most profitable or in highest demand. Avoid the temptation to market everything to everyone; this approach is costly and often leads to failure.

How do my target customers prefer to communicate and receive information? Many businesses fall into the trap of selecting what is trendy or inexpensive. Determine whether your customers prefer in-person interactions, phone calls, emails, traditional mail, text messages, digital platforms, or social media. Preferences may vary depending on the type of information, and customers may be comfortable with multiple methods. Choose the channels that work best for them.

How many interactions are necessary to build relationships and secure sales for my business? Building awareness, nurturing relationships, and closing sales typically require more than one or two contacts. In a noisy market, ten or more interactions are common. For higher-priced services, where potential clients may perceive greater risk, the number of interactions may be even higher. Develop a range of possible touchpoints and consistently deliver the same message.

How can I encourage existing customers to keep purchasing, buy more, or buy more frequently? The answer is to maintain connections and continue marketing to them. Allocate some of your marketing budget to current and past customers. It’s significantly more cost-effective to market to those who already know and like your business.

How much time and money should I invest? Consistency is vital in marketing. Marketing strategies involve both time and financial commitments. Some strategies, like networking and social media, are low-cost but time-intensive. Others, such as direct mail or pay-per-click advertising, require a higher financial investment but less time. The key is to balance your time and financial investments to ensure consistent marketing efforts throughout the year.

What do I enjoy and excel at? The reality is that nothing happens until you implement your marketing strategies. When selecting strategies, most people tend to avoid activities they dislike or find challenging. Acknowledge this bias and experiment with strategies outside your comfort zone. Additionally, consider delegating, outsourcing, or learning to perform these tasks effectively.

How can I streamline my marketing to make it easy, efficient, and profitable? Once you’ve decided on your strategies, develop the campaign, implement it, monitor its progress, make necessary adjustments, and document the process. Whether you do it in house or hire people to do it for you, look for ways to make your marketing efforts simple, repeatable, and more effective over time. When marketing requires less time and effort yet still delivers the desired return on investment, it becomes less overwhelming. You might even start to enjoy it!

Ready to Propel Your Business Toward Success?

Would collaborating help you elevate your business to a new level? Then let’s have a conversation. Click here to schedule a discovery call.

Business Innovation & Growth: How to Keep It Alive

Posted on by Joan Nowak

When cash flows effortlessly into your business from banks and customers, it’s tempting to overlook mistakes, take the easiest route, and live with existing problems. But when times get more challenging, it becomes increasingly difficult to ignore these issues. This pressure forces entrepreneurs to implement real changes or risk going out of business.

Choose a New Path in 2025

Instead of pointing fingers at others or the economy when times get tough, let’s commit to a different approach in 2025. Put on your creative hat and decide to rethink, restructure, refocus, and rebuild. By doing so, you’ll position yourself for long-term success.

If you desire real change, acknowledge that it’s time to stop applying temporary fixes to your business. Too often, issues like declining sales and profits, long working hours, or a poor team culture are symptoms of more significant problems within your organization. You need to identify the root causes and address the real issues.

Where to Begin Rebuilding.

Eliminate the Dead Wood. Employees are valuable assets — and when you have the right ones, it’s crucial to treat them well and prioritize their well-being. However, not all employees are created equal. You must be willing to part ways with individuals in your company who don’t align with your culture or contribute to your team’s success. You know who they are. They show up late, collect a paycheck, and add little or no value to your customers, team, or business. They drain your energy and demoralize the team. So why do we tolerate and retain underperformers?

Sometimes it’s the fear of the unknown. The employee may be lazy, but at least he shows up. Sometimes it’s a sense of obligation. How can I fire my cousin or brother and still face my family? Sometimes we feel we can’t because we never communicated our expectations or dissatisfaction. And sometimes we just feel too overwhelmed and don’t have the time to hire and train someone new. Whatever your reasons, you have a choice. You can fix the problem — help the employee become an asset to the team — or make him go away.

Let Go of Deadbeat Customers. Once again, you know who they are. They only buy with discounts or purchase low-margin products, pay late or after numerous requests, frequently complain, and treat your team poorly. Your earnings from ideal customers often subsidize these less-than-perfect ones. Why allow them to linger and drain your profits and team morale? Dismiss them and replace them with customers who genuinely value what you offer.

Introduce Innovation Across All Areas of Your Business. Many owners equate innovation with new products or inventions. However, innovation, by definition, is the introduction of new ideas or methods, and it’s crucial for achieving sustainable growth and profit.

The key is to apply innovation to all areas of your business. From marketing and sales to customer support, delivery, and team building. It’s simply a matter of continuously seeking better ways to do what you do.

RELATED ARTICLE: Is Creativity Essential for Success?

Prioritize Productivity. Being busy is not the same as being productive. Productivity is about achieving effective results or outcomes in the most efficient way, with the least amount of time and effort. Now, who wouldn’t want that?

So do you measure and seek ways to eliminate waste, increase outputs, or reduce hours associated with daily tasks or service delivery within your company? Do you have systems for critical activities and consistently look for ways to streamline or improve them?

If you aim to increase your margins without raising your prices, take a hard look at your productivity levels and the waste in your business. It’s a goldmine for many small businesses.

Plan and Systematize Your Marketing. Many small business owners view marketing as a necessary evil. They know they need it but often struggle to execute it effectively. So when money gets tight or owners get busy, marketing takes the hit. Unfortunately, this comes at a significant cost — sustainable growth and profit. So why is that?

First, some lack a strong marketing foundation with clear targets, the right products and services for them, and compelling messages to prompt action. As a result, marketing becomes harder to execute. An integrated and consistent marketing effort yields a better ROI but requires some planning.

Second, some fail to measure results, so they don’t actually know if their investment (time and money) is delivering a return. It’s easy to cut marketing expenses when you can’t tie the cost to specific results such as new customers, increased revenue or improved profitability. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the right decision.

Third, most small business marketing is not systematized. There’s no efficiency and, most importantly, no consistency. Therefore, it costs more and is far less effective — an obvious frustration.

Focus More on Profit Than Sales. It may feel gratifying to hit that target sales milestone or tell others you do $1 million or more in sales. But if those sales don’t provide you with the profit needed to sustain growth, properly compensate your team, increase your personal income, and deliver the lifestyle you desire — why bother?

As a business owner, you take all the risks. Your business must make a profit to stay in business. Your family, customers, employees, and vendors are depending on it. Remember, sales growth is important, but profit and cash flow are paramount!

Challenge the Paradigms. What self-sabotaging beliefs act as constraints in our business and life. Here are a few examples: It’s impossible to earn a profit in this economy, I can’t get good help, customers are never satisfied, customers only care about price, marketing doesn’t work.

Do any of these sound familiar? The problem with paradigms is they give you an excuse to settle for less, accept mediocrity, or give up completely. Don’t let attitudes held by others, unsupported by fact, hold you back.

Ready to Craft Your Own Success Story? Then let’s have a conversation. Click here to schedule a discovery call.

About Joan Nowak. For over a decade, I’ve been assisting business owners in transforming ideas into profits. My comprehensive, common-sense approach empowers clients and fosters improvements in crucial areas, including revenue, operations, team development, customer satisfaction, and overall profitability.

15 Barriers to Personal Productivity

Posted on by Joan Nowak

When it comes to personal productivity, many of us recognize there’s room for improvement. By eliminating a few bad habits or time-wasting activities, imagine how much more we could achieve. This newfound efficiency could grant us more time to spend with family and friends or indulge in activities we genuinely enjoy. The journey toward increased productivity begins with modifying certain behaviors. So, what are you doing or not doing today that is hampering your personal productivity at work or home?

Common Obstacles for Personal Productivity

Struggling to remember your tasks? If you lack an effective method to capture tasks requiring your attention, things inevitably slip through the cracks. Without writing it down, you simply forget. Fortunately, a plethora of apps is available to help you capture tasks efficiently. Many of these apps sync seamlessly across all your devices—computer, tablet, and phone—ensuring your to-do list is always within reach!

Tasks not making it to your calendar? It’s crucial to allocate specific times to complete the tasks on your list. While lists serve as reminders, tasks won’t get done until they are scheduled on your calendar. Most task management and to-do list apps integrate well with your calendar.

Scheduling tasks at the wrong time? Are you working against your natural energy levels? Some of us are morning people, while others thrive at night. Align your tasks with your energy levels and try scheduling important tasks when your energy is at its peak.

Underestimating task duration? We often think tasks will take less time than they actually do. It’s a common problem. Be realistic about what you can achieve in a day and include some buffer time for unexpected interruptions.

Are you the wrong person for the job? Recognize your strengths and weaknesses and don’t hesitate to ask for help when needed. None of us are experts at everything. Don’t waste time on tasks that you can delegate or outsource. Your time is valuable, so spend it wisely. You’ll be more productive and likely a lot happier too.

Is the task overly complex? It’s human nature to avoid tasks that seem too complex or cumbersome, as they often require significant time. Finding large blocks of time to work on them is challenging, making it easy to procrastinate. The best approach is to break complex tasks into smaller, manageable pieces and tackle them incrementally.

Great things are done by a series of small things brought together. — Vincent Van Gogh.

Is your space disorganized? A cluttered workspace can sap time and energy from your day. If you spend a lot of time searching for things before you can get started, it’s time to organize your workspace.

Lack of clear goals and priorities? Without well-defined goals, you lack a foundation for making decisions about how to spend your time or prioritize the numerous choices you face daily.

I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination. — Jimmy Dean.

Unrealistic workload? Sometimes life overwhelms you. Typically, these periods are temporary. Recognize when you’re overloaded and delegate or eliminate non-essential tasks during these times.

In transition? Life changes can make it difficult to determine how to invest your time. The best way to navigate this is to re-identify your goals and create a roadmap for the transition.

Distracting work environment? Being easily accessible can be a double-edged sword. Acknowledge this and plan accordingly. Designate a block of time each day that is free from interruptions and entirely under your control, even if it means leaving your office or home to achieve it.

Overly eager to help? Assisting others can be rewarding both personally and professionally, but only when kept in balance. Overcommitting can lead to feelings of resentment and overwhelm. Sometimes, our desire to feel appreciated and valuable prevents us from allowing others to help. Empower people by letting them contribute; it’s beneficial for everyone involved.

Love starting projects but struggle to finish them? Incomplete projects fail to deliver the results and sense of accomplishment that come with finishing tasks. This drains energy and hurts productivity. Engage results-oriented individuals—employees, colleagues, or a business coach—to help you complete projects. Surround yourself with people who excel at getting things done.

Striving for perfection? Not all tasks require the same level of excellence. Do you feel the need to perfect every task? If so, you’ll never finish anything. Adjust your standards according to the task at hand. Some tasks merit extra effort, while others do not. Remember, sometimes good enough is truly sufficient!

Fear of losing creativity? Some individuals fear that imposing structure or routines will stifle their creativity. Consequently, their lives are chaotic and stressful. Trust that you can incorporate structure into your schedule while still nurturing creativity. You don’t need to plan every minute, but establishing a general rhythm to your day can be immensely helpful.

The initial step toward making meaningful changes is recognizing the need for them. Don’t attempt to fix everything at once. Focus on one area and then move to the next.

Fed up with productivity roadblocks?

Are productivity issues and other obstacles hindering your progress? Would another set of eyes and accountability from an expert help you achieve more? If your answer is a resounding YES, let’s have a conversation. Click here to schedule a discovery call.

5 Business Skills To Take You From Technician to Entrepreneur

Posted on by Joan Nowak

Many small business owners are very good at what they do – from HVAC and automotive repairs to graphic design, IT or accounting services. They honed these skills while working for others – and at some point decided “I can do this on my own, make more money and have more time”. And yes, they can. But it takes more than technical know-how to build and sustain a successful business.

As a business owner, you need to wear a lot of hats. If you truly want to build a better business – one that works for you, here are some business skills you need to develop.

Time Mastery

It’s no surprise that the biggest complaint of business owners is a lack of time. While organizing can certainly help, the best way to get back time comes from improvements in planning.

Planning and goal setting help you prioritize and stay on track – a key to time management. Without it, everything looks important and little gets accomplished. Planning starts with a clear vision for your business. Next, incorporate your goals – what do you want to accomplish? Then, identify what you need to do to reach those goals. Whether you call them strategies, tactics, or tasks, these are the actions you must take to accomplish your goals. Finally, schedule time to work on the ‘strategic’ parts of your business.

Keep in mind that planning is a cycle and ongoing process. Monitor your results and make adjustments as needed. Make planning and goal-setting a priority. Be the visionary and strategist your company needs.

People Mastery

You can’t do it all yourself. Whether you hire employees, sub-contract work or outsource projects and routine tasks, your small business needs others to grow and prosper. Most owners recognize the importance of getting quality people to support them and their businesses. But too often, they ignore the need to develop and manage them – especially when outsourcing or subcontracting work. Clear expectations, shared goals, ongoing feedback, and open communication lead to high-performance ‘teams’ – and a willingness to delegate to others! Be the manager and leader your company needs.

Financial Mastery

You don’t need to be a numbers guru to be successful. Whether you love them or hate them, the numbers are your friend – and a great tool for making sound business decisions and prioritizing where you put your resources. While your accountant and bookkeeper can help with planning and day-to-day record keeping, YOU own your financial performance.

Take the time to learn and understand the key financial drivers that impact profitability, cash flow, and your income. While key drivers may vary by business, some common ones include sales, margins, profit, accounts receivables/payables, labor, inventory management, and operating efficiency. Look at your financial reports monthly. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. A good accountant will gladly explain — it’s how we learn. If something doesn’t look or feel right – it probably isn’t. Don’t ignore the red flags – ask questions or ask for help. Work with your accountant and be the chief financial officer your company needs.

Revenue Mastery

When you worked for someone else, keeping sales flowing was often someone else’s job. But as the owner, getting customers and repeat business is now up to you. Regardless of whether you do it yourself or get others to do it for you, generating sales is the lifeblood of your business. Have methods in place to consistently generate new sales (not just leads) and get current customers to spend more and purchase again and again. There are a lot of ways to grow and sustain revenue. You don’t need hundreds – but you do need three things:

First, a few proven methods to generate new leads. Second, a reliable sales system to convert those leads to paying customers. Finally, a dependable method to stay connected with current customers to generate repeat business. The key to success in marketing and sales is consistency. Avoid the stopping and starting or when time allows approach. Be the chief marketing and sales officer your company needs

Systems Mastery

A business is a combination of people and systems that evolve as the business grows. When you are doing all the work, the quality and service are probably to your standards – even if they are inefficient. But as you bring in others to save time and money, those same standards may decline – unless you have written systems and procedures in place to guide them.

Systems aren’t complicated, but they are the key to efficiency, effectiveness, and repeatability in all areas of your business. They make hiring, training, and outsourcing easier. They make your business more efficient – which translates into more profit. And most of all, they ensure you consistently deliver what you promise to customers, employees, suppliers, and others who depend on YOU.

Owning your own business can be rewarding. With a commitment to learning and developing new skills, your business can provide you with the income, lifestyle, and freedom you want. As Ben Franklin said, “An investment in learning pays the best dividends”.

Experience the Power of Business Coaching

Why do so many successful business owners choose this path to build a better business — one that works FOR them? Because it works — they get results!

So ask yourself. Would another set of eyes, ongoing support, and accountability from an expert help you take your business in a new and better direction? Then let’s start a conversation. Schedule your free discovery call today. Book appointment.

Does Your Team Step Up When It Matters

Posted on by Joan Nowak

Owning a business requires leadership, vision, innovation, and persistence. But most of all it requires teamwork and collaboration. Over the past few years, we learned a lot about ourselves and the people we have in place to support our business. When times get tough, does your team step up and work together to make a difference? Or do they operate as individuals with no commitment to customers or each other?

Does your culture promote collaboration and teamwork? If not, you can change the storyline at any time and create what you need for your business to be successful — a real team.

Team Building Secret

So, what is the secret to building a great team? It’s not about paying them a lot of money, but always paying them what they are worth. It’s not about giving them weeks and weeks of paid time off. But getting paid to enjoy time away is always appreciated. You may be surprised to learn that some of the best ways to build a strong team cost you very little.

#1 – Get Them Engaged.

Vince Lombardi had the right idea. “Individual commitment to a group effort is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, and a civilization work.” Individual commitment comes from participation and understanding. The more involved your team is, the more committed they are to its success. And since some of the best ideas for business growth and improvement come from employees, it’s time to get them engaged. Then everyone wins!

#2 – Show Appreciation.

As human beings, we want recognition and need to feel appreciated. It’s natural. So what do you do to make your team feel appreciated? Again, it’s not about money. Yes, token gifts or group lunches are nice; but simple things like thank you for a job well done, recognizing them in front of peers and customers, and soliciting their suggestions go a long way. All it takes is a little forethought and some of your time!

#3 – Volunteer Together.

With so many needs in local communities, this is an opportunity to work together outside the traditional work environment. These projects help you get to know co-workers as people. It’s a great way to build personal relationships. Find a volunteer project the team can get behind – and do it together. Have fun while you help others.

#4 – Give Them Authority

When you give people the opportunity and authority to be their best, you will get the best out of them. Provide your team with the guidance they need. Then give them the authority to make decisions and solve problems. It’s the best way to demonstrate trust.

Get Your Team Off the Sidelines

When your people are committed and in the game, you set yourself up for success. So, make sure you hire the right people, invest in their development, and create a collaborative culture. When you do, you and your business will be in a better place. One where you will survive whatever the world throws at you.

Need help? Let’s discuss. Schedule a free 30-minute consultation. Book an Appointment

About Joan Nowak

I’ve been helping business owners turn ideas into profits for more than a decade. My whole-business, common-sense approach empowers my clients and drives improvements in critical areas, including revenue, operations, team development, customer satisfaction, and profitability.

Are You Ready to Build Your Business?

Posted on by Joan Nowak

The pandemic and the years that followed have taught business owners a lot about leadership, innovation, flexibility, and teamwork. We came to understand that business as usual can change in an instant, so we need to be able to adapt quickly to rebuild or grow. We found that technology is a great tool that can open doors if we open our minds to all the possibilities. And, we learned that with the right people, we have what we need to innovate and win despite the obstacles we face.

The start of a new year is always full of opportunities to grow both revenue and profit. Let’s get re-energized and start to take advantage of them.

A Whole Business Approach to Profit Building

Whether you need to get more customers, fix a supply chain, hire more people, or build back sustainable profit, take a whole-business approach as you grow or build your business today.

Think of your business as a machine with a lot of connected pieces. It works best when all the pieces perform well together. If one or more of the parts are broken, the business no longer works efficiently and effectively. Profit erodes.

My whole business approach works for my clients. You can use it too and build sustainable profit in your own business. Here are the core elements:

Planning & Goal Setting. Aligning your vision and setting clear goals with action steps and deadlines for greater focus and results.
Products & Services. Packaging, positioning, and pricing your products and services to attract and retain profitable customers – today and in the future.
Revenue Mastery. Business development, marketing, sales, and customer service strategies that attract new customers and keep existing ones coming back and referring others.
Systems Mastery. Streamlining and standardizing procedures, to make daily operations easier, efficient, and more effective – whether you are there or not.
People Mastery. Hiring and developing employees, contractors, vendors, and power partners who are committed to your customers and the success of your business.
Personal Development. Commitment to learning and building skills and knowledge to help you achieve your true potential.
Financial Mastery. Creating synergy and profit mastery, to sustain growth and cash flow, so your business continues to serve you, your people, customers, and other stakeholders.

Apply This Approach To Build Business

There are a lot of ways you and your team can improve each of these areas in your business. Check out my free eBook, Building Profit Through Leverage. It provides additional information and practical ways to build sustainable profit using my whole business approach. Download now.

Great things are done by a series of small things brought together – Vincent Van Gogh

The proven methods outlined in my free eBook can help you create a strong foundation and build profitability. Take it one step at a time and focus on small improvements in all areas of your business. Get started now. Click here to download my free eBook.

Want to get there faster?

Would another set of eyes, ongoing support, and accountability from an expert help you take your business in a new and better direction? Then let’s have a conversation. A 30-minute discovery call is a chance to get to know each other, discuss your goals, and answer any questions. Click here to book your free call.

How Your Systems and People Power Profit and Success

Posted on by Joan Nowak

According to the author, Michael Gerber, a business is a complex structure of people and business systems that are all evolving at the same time. If you want to turn your business around, take advantage of opportunities or simply continue to build profit then it pays to put more effort into these two areas.

They are the key to sustainable growth and a business that is not completely dependent on you!

Think about your own business. What likely got you to the first $250,000 was not enough to get you to $1 million, unless you made some changes along the way. With so much at stake, do your people and processes get the level of attention they should? Here are a few things to consider:

When hiring employees or subcontractors, do you have clear goals, expectations, and standards? Is everyone on the same page?
Are the workflows and tasks in your business documented so it is easy to train and develop new team members?
Does your company deliver what you promise customers each and every time?
When someone is out or leaves, can others jump in without difficulty so customer care and other critical tasks are performed with the same level of quality and success?
Do your people look for ways to improve customer satisfaction or other areas of the business? Is continuous improvement a priority?
Could you go on vacation for two weeks without worrying or constantly calling in?

Whether you depend on employees, subcontractors, alliance partners, or vendors, the right people are a necessity for most businesses. And if you want those people to be the best they can be, to develop and stick around, you need systems in place to help them thrive.

The Power of People in Your Business

An established business likely has an existing team and other relationships. We hear it said that “people are the most important asset in a business”. The past few years have certainly reinforced the significant role they play in your business.’s success. So let’s start there.

Employees.

Are employees a good fit for your business today and moving forward?
What are the skill gaps that exist for individuals or your team as a whole? Can these be addressed with training?
Is your team open to change and new ways of doing things? Do they embrace technology? For some, this is a challenge.
Do employees have a job description with clear responsibilities and expectations?
Is there a path to help employees grow and develop within your company — so they stay?
Have individual and business goals been developed and shared? Are employees engaged in setting goals and committed to accomplishing them?

Sub-Contractors, Vendors, and Alliance Partners.

Do you have the right ones for your business? What are their individual strengths and weaknesses?
Is your business too dependent on any single supplier, leaving you vulnerable?
Are their quality and service standards the same as yours?
Have clear expectations been set and agreed upon by all parties? Is ongoing feedback in place to support the relationships?

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention YOU in the people equation. Be honest about your effectiveness as the leader of your company. Are you the type others enjoy working with? Do you encourage innovation at all levels and give them credit for their ideas? Will you take the time to teach and help develop others? Have you created a work environment and culture that allows your people to thrive?

Give People The Systems and Authority to Succeed

I believe most people want to perform well, contribute and make a difference in whatever job they undertake. I have seen part-timers and minimum wage earners who are worth their weight in gold and highly paid employees who are worthless. It’s all about attitude and what you, the business owner, do to help them succeed.

That’s why systems are so important. With documented systems, people know what to do and how to do it. It makes training easier and more effective. New employees can hit the ground running and start to contribute quickly! That’s a win-win for everyone.

Systems also make it easier for all employees to take on new responsibilities or help out others without difficulty. Talk about a great development tool. Equally important, it takes away the stress when someone calls out sick, goes on vacation, or leaves to take another job.

To get the most out of your people, make sure you build limits of authority into your systems as appropriate. Levels of authority are simply decision-making tools. They help your staff handle customer issues, close sales, resolve problems and keep the business running! It eliminates the need for everything to go through you and gives your people a sense of empowerment to do their job.

Examples | Limits of Authority

Quotes (in the sales process). If the quote is under $25,000 with a gross profit of xx% or more, the sales representative may approve and submit the quote directly to the customer. All quotes over $25,000 or with gross profit margins below xx% require the approval of the sales manager/owner.

Customer service. Representatives may issue credits, refunds, or payments of up to $100 to resolve customer issues. Credit or payments between $101 – $250 require office manager approval. All credits or payments over $250 require owner approval.

Purchasing. Using one of our approved suppliers or vendors, purchasing agent has the authority to issue POs up to $10,000. Purchase orders over $10,000 require owner approval.

If you are new to building systems in your business, you are probably thinking ‘Wow, this is a lot of work’. It’s not difficult, but it does take time. But with every procedure you document and implement, you begin to see the benefits. Improved efficiency, increased sales, more profit – and a lot less stress!

Take it one at a time. I recommend clients start with a system that will address a common problem. One that helps you make more money, frees up your time, or fixes a customer service or operations issue. What are some common problems that arise often? What are tasks you should delegate but haven’t done so? Pick one and start there.

The right people executing your systems can help transform your business, so give it the attention it deserves.

Leverage Your Business With Systems

If you are serious about leveraging your business with systems but struggle with where to start and how to do it, then check out my Ultimate Systems and Procedures Guide. Designed specifically for small business owners, my step-by-step guide with templates and examples makes it easy to do it yourself.

Need help or prefer to work with me on this project? Schedule a complimentary call and we can discuss the options. Click here to book an appointment now.

About Joan Nowak

As a business strategy expert and consultant, I’ve been helping business owners turn ideas into profits for more than a decade. My common-sense approach empowers clients and drives business improvements in key areas including revenue, operations, team development, customer satisfaction, and profitability.

7 Small Business Weaknesses You Should Avoid

Posted on by Joan Nowak

Every business has its strengths, those things that they consistently do well to get people talking, attract new business, and keep customers coming back. Always a good thing. Unfortunately, strengths can sometimes cover up business weaknesses or flaws so they don’t get the attention they need.

For clarification, business weaknesses are areas where improvements need to be made because your current situation leaves you vulnerable to economic pressures, market forces, or aggressive competitors. In short, these are the things that hurt long-term, sustainable profitability.

Here’s an interesting way to look at business weaknesses. IF you were going to sell your business, what things would make it less attractive to a potential buyer? Note, the things that would make it attractive are typically strengths!

7 Small Business Weaknesses

#1 – No documented systems and procedures. As a result, critical activities including marketing, sales, hiring, service delivery, billing, and customer care are not easily repeatable by others. And, they are often inconsistent, inefficient, and ineffective. Taking the time to put down how tasks are handled saves time and money and makes training easier. It also ensures customers’ expectations are consistently met so they keep coming back. Need help with this one? Check out my Ultimate Systems and Procedures Guide for Small Businesses.

#2 – Business is too dependent on the owner or one key person. Some of this is due to a lack of documented workflows and procedures. But it is also due to a lack of delegation. A lot of small business owners are reluctant to delegate tasks to others because it requires time to train them or they simply don’t believe others can do it just as well. With documented procedures, training and delegation are a lot easier. And you may just find that others do it just as well – if not better! The more you delegate or outsource to others, the more time you have to work on more important tasks like growth and profit improvement.

Related: How to Delegate Effectively

#3 – Too many eggs in one basket. If your business is too dependent on one or two ‘big’ customers, your business is far more vulnerable. It’s easy to become content or complacent when you land a big account. But mergers, acquisitions, new competition, or even one bad experience can cause the customer to leave and result in a major revenue loss that you can’t quickly overcome. While you want to keep your big (and small) customers happy, you need to make getting new customers a priority too! Invest the time and resources to grow your customer base. You’ll improve your revenue and profit while reducing your long-term risk.

#4 – No proven methods for revenue growth. If you need customers quickly, what would you do? Whether you need a lot or a few, every business should have 3-4 proven ways to get new business. Things that consistently work. Things that you can depend on to deliver results. Trying new strategies is necessary to take advantage of changes in the market and new technology. But don’t eliminate what works. Simply add new stuff to your mix and be consistent! Only eliminate a tactic when it no longer produces the results you want or need to make it pay off.

#5 – Lack of differentiation. All products or services become commodity-like over time. Even prescription drugs become generic eventually! So what are you doing to make your company or services stand out for people to take notice? Why should they choose YOU? Differentiation for small businesses can take an assortment of forms relating to convenience or quality, including people, service levels, hours, systems, location, product variety, results, etc. What do you do so well that you can guarantee it or create buzz around it? You only need ONE! With differentiation, you no longer compete on price alone and your marketing is a lot more compelling … so it works!

#6 – Wrong people supporting your business. You can’t do it all. Your success as a business owner will depend on others — employees, subcontractors, and vendors (suppliers). So choosing the right ones and developing them is a key to sustainable growth and profit. Don’t settle or depend on just one. Invest the time and resources to select the best and build those relationships so everyone benefits.

#7 – Lack of cash. Do you focus on sales at the expense of profit and cash flow? It’s a common issue. Getting more customers or growing revenue does not guarantee more profit, personal income, or adequate cash to sustain your business. Focus on the bottom line. Grow profitable sales and stop selling what you can’t make money on. Establish a pricing strategy that supports profit, not just sales. Manage your expenses, especially labor, to sales levels. Bill promptly and extend credit wisely. Get a letter of credit before you actually need it and use it sensibly.

Any opportunities for improvement? If so, pick one and start focusing your efforts there. Little improvements can produce big results – more time, more money, and more control. So commit and take action.

About Joan Nowak. As a business improvement expert, business coach, and consultant, I’ve been helping entrepreneurs turn ideas into profits for more than a decade. My whole-business approach empowers clients and drives improvements in key areas including revenue, operational performance, team development, customer satisfaction, and profitability. Schedule a discovery call — book an appointment

Does Your Business Run Smoothly?

Posted on by Joan Nowak

A well-run business is a dream come true for a business owner. It allows you to focus on what’s important – growth and profitability. It also gives you the freedom to take time off without skipping a beat. So does your business run smoothly?

Here is something to consider. No business owner wants to spend their days putting out fires, fixing mistakes, or doing the work they pay others to do. Yet many do because their business doesn’t run without their constant involvement. You can’t prevent every potential problem, but you can take steps to improve your current situation and make your business run smoothly.

Identify the Gaps in Your Operations

A business is a structure of people and systems that evolve over time. Together they bring predictability into the workplace. So, attracting the right people and developing quality systems for them is a key to growth, profitability, and freedom.

Got systems and good people? Then you are already on the right path. But remember, as your business grows, your systems and people also need to change. Is your team structured properly and do their job responsibilities take advantage of new skills and technology? Are you doing things the same way you always did (just because) or do you continuously look for better ways to improve all areas of your business?

Periodically review your systems and people so you continue to evolve in the right direction.

Explore Additional Opportunities

While systems and people provide a strong business foundation, here are a few things to consider as well — if you want your business to run smoothly.

#1 – Do you cross-train employees so no critical task is dependent on one person?

A company doesn’t stop because the owner or other staff are sick or away from the business. Customers still expect to be served and have problems solved. Employees still expect to be paid. So important tasks should never be dependent on one person. If you have systems documented, it’s easier to cross-train others so the work still gets done. Make cross-training your team a priority.

#2 – Is there too much focus on the quantity of work done — and too little on the quality?

Customers expect quality when it comes to service, products, and people. Doing things right the first time, every time is important. While mistakes happen, the cost of poor or inconsistent quality costs you more than you think. You want your team to be efficient but don’t sacrifice quality for production. Promote a quality-first mentality within your company.

#3 — Are you using technology to improve efficiency and other areas of your business?

With so many affordable options, small and mid-sized businesses now have easy access to tools that simply make it easier to run a business. Whether you want to collaborate and share work without meetings, allow customers to directly schedule appointments, provide easy, non-traditional pay options, create instant quotes at the customer’s home/business, permit employees to effectively work remotely or communicate successfully with individuals or groups – there are apps for that.

The use of technology can certainly improve efficiency and customer satisfaction — solid reasons to integrate it into your daily operations. But it can also help improve hiring and retention. — especially if you are dependent on a younger workforce. Why? Because these potential employees are tech-savvy; they grew up using it. They expect and embrace technology in the workplace. If you want to attract and retain them, look for ways to employ technology in your business.

#4 — Do you have consistent methods to get feedback from customers?

Most owners recognize the value of online reviews and make getting them a priority. Research indicates that 80% of potential buyers (even those who come by way of referral) check reviews, recommendations, and testimonials as part of their buying decisions. So, the focus makes perfect sense.

While reviews can reinforce what you do well and may uncover an area for improvement, they have limitations. When you are considering new products/services or looking for ideas to improve, who better to ask than your loyal customers (and employees)? Nothing beats a one-on-one or small group conversation. Don’t let online reviews replace other forms of feedback. Do both!

#5 — Do you track metrics that are important – and work as a whole team to correct issues?

When used properly, analytics is simply a decision-making tool — in sports and in business. They shouldn’t replace experience or even your gut instincts. But they can help you uncover opportunities for improvement.

Many businesses track sales metrics because they impact revenue or income. But what about your operations and service? On-time delivery, quality (re-works, defects), back-orders, labor hours, cycle times, and complaints all impact your profitability and long-term sales. Find the gaps in your operations and work as a team to fix them.

Build operational improvements into your plans

Growth, profit, and freedom don’t just happen by accident. If you want to improve operations, you need to build these improvements into your plans each year. You wouldn’t ignore sales in your planning because it’s key to revenue growth. So don’t ignore operational efficiency — it’s key to having a business that runs smoothly and profitably.

Ready to Put Your Business on a More Profitable Path?

Would another set of eyes, ongoing support, and accountability from an expert help you take your business in a new and better direction? Then let’s start a conversation. Schedule your free discovery call today. Book appointment.