When talking about business systems, it’s referred to as the documented procedures and processes that allow your business to run in the most efficient manner possible, without your constant attention. Systems can be set up for nearly every aspect of your business—from accounting to estimating; scheduling to ordering; onboarding to customer service, and much more.
The idea of implementing systems in your business isn’t revolutionary. But it’s oftentimes too easy to overlook the most basic of ideas when we’re tied up in the day-to-day tasks of managing a business.
Here’s the thing, though: systems don’t just streamline your day-to-day tasks. They are the key to growing your business on a big-picture level, and a lack of systems is the single greatest reason why contractors end up going out of business—they’re crushed by their own growth. Even still, systems are often ignored.
WHY CONTRACTORS GET CRUSHED
What is it about systems that make them the key to whether a contracting business “crushes it” or gets crushed?
It’s a simple answer with a complex implication: For businesses without proper systems in place from the get-go, growth in leads, closed deals, and incoming profits will outpace the supply of time and attention needed to make sure other aspects of the business grow along with it.
Simply stated: Your contracting business cannot survive unexpected or unanticipated growth without proper systems in place first.
SYSTEMS HELP LEVEL UP BUSINESS
Here are a few things systems can do to help you grow your business and increase revenues without more time needed on your end:
Systems build consistency and efficiency. Let’s use employee onboarding as an example. Having a documented process for onboarding builds consistency when new employees are hired. You can guarantee that all employees have gone through the same paperwork and training and are on the same page from the beginning. In addition, it makes the onboarding process incredibly efficient and allows you to get new staff operating at full speed faster and with fewer headaches.
Systems free up staff to spend time on more valuable things. Because of the consistency a system provides, your staff doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel each time something needs to be done. When estimating, for example, your sales staff doesn’t have to come up with a unique procedure for bidding jobs each and every time a new lead comes in. With a comprehensive system put in place—i.e. using a system such as JobFLEX for mobile estimating—your sales staff is freed up to quote more work, more often. But the most important reason why systems are necessary for your contracting business:
Systems enable your business to scale. With consistent, efficient, and detailed systems put in place, you’ve built the foundation upon which your business can scale. When tasks like onboarding, estimating, payroll, and scheduling are systematized, it makes them easily replicable for anyone to implement.
The goal for you: As your business scales and tasks are decentralized and running smoothly in the background, you, the business owner, are freed up to focus on the big picture of moving your company forward.
SYSTEMS THAT SUPPORT GROWTH
It’s your job to revolutionize your business so you can scale with relative ease rather than getting crushed when growth comes too fast and you simply can’t manage it.
Stop expelling all your effort just to keep your head above water and get back to doing what you do best. Implement systems that grow with your business and keep it running efficiently and independently of your constant attention. ■
For More Information: For more information on the benefits of having systems in place for your business and to learn more about JobFLEX, the company behind the industry’s easiest-to-use mobile quoting and estimating app, visit www.job-flex.com.
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Modern Contractor Solutions, August 2015
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