015: The Secrets of Businesses that Scale

One Next Step Podcast

About This Episode

Your systems and processes do more than ensure quality; they save your organization time and provide clarity in expectations. If you are doing everything well as an organization, but you’re not documenting what you do, your business is vulnerable and unable to scale. You are reinventing the wheel every time, counting on people to uphold an unspoken standard or pick up things through osmosis, overly relying on people who know your business to continue working for your business, or all of the above.

In this episode, we want to help you take the lid off of your business’s potential by helping you identify the processes and systems you need to grow your business. These processes will help you deliver a great customer experience, hire the right people, convert leads, and more. All great organizations have nailed this down so that they ensure a certain level of quality and consistency.

1. Never assume everyone is clear on your mission, values and guiding principles.

Each individual department might have their guiding values, but is it consistent and cohesive with other departments? Start going through the process at a high operational level to make sure you have the right operating principles and what is the foundation of creating them. Look for gaps and inefficiencies that need to be addressed.

2. Create a list of guiding principles.

These principles will answer questions your team has and allow everyone to be on the same page. Get input from your team leaders on the principles that guide them, and narrow all of those down to form your list for the organization. As an example, one of BELAY’s guiding principles is “The price is the price is the price.” That simply means they believe in the value of what they sell and aren’t willing to negotiate. 

3. Your Standard Operating Procedures are an awesome opportunity to see where there are big gaps and inefficiencies.

They help answer the questions, “How do we save time here? How do we shrink this process or use technology to make it more efficient?” For example, a lead has come in. What happens after that? They get an email, then they get a phone call and so on. The SOP simply helps you lay out processes so everyone understands and knows what to do next.

 

Do you have a mission, set of core values and guiding principles? If so, is your entire team really aware of them to the point that it’s a part of what they do every day?
If you don’t have a set of guiding principles, how could creating one affect your business?
What does conflict look like in your organization? In other words, when two people disagree about a decision, is that situation managed in a healthy way? Consider creating conflict norms if you don’t have any.
Your mission statement and your core values are the litmus test by which you funnel all of your decisions. — Lisa Zeevled
You can’t measure what you can’t see. — Tricia Sciortino
Give yourself permission to change as your business changes. — Lisa Zeevled
Every person on your team should be hired to have an opinion, a voice and to bring value. — Tricia Sciortino
Creating strong guiding principles has the power to align your team and propel your business. — Lisa Zeevled

The McDonald’s Big Mac

BELAY’s Virtual Assistant Services

Tricia Sciortino on Instagram and LinkedIn.

Lisa Zeeveld on Instagram and LinkedIn.

(04:17) Today’s listener question: “What processes and systems do I need to scale and grow my business?”

(05:27) How BELAY has redefined their standard operating procedures (SOP) this year. 

(08:16) Making sure your SOP aligns with your mission and your core values. 

(09:35) Conflict norms – How to engage with each other when you disagree 

(11:56) The value of guiding principles (and making sure they’re written down!)

(16:09) Why new entrepreneurs shouldn’t dismiss the value of these exercises. 

(17:57) You can’t create SOP if you don’t know what your business objectives are (What are you selling? Who are you selling it to? And why?)

(20:01) Your SOP are an awesome opportunity to see where there are big gaps and inefficiencies.

Subscribe to One Next Step & Start Doing Small Business Big

applepodcasts

Apple Podcasts

applepodcasts

Apple Podcasts

applepodcasts

Apple Podcasts

Or subscribe via email
ons-white-mockup-149x300.png

In this episode, we want to help you take the lid off of your business’s potential by helping you identify the processes and systems you need to grow your business. These processes will help you deliver a great customer experience, hire the right people, convert leads, and more. All great organizations have nailed this down so that they ensure a certain level of quality and consistency.