Ready to Scale? Get Your Processes in Order
Does this sound familiar? You have a proven offer but have no time left for more clients, and you want to increase revenue without paying for more resources or hiring employees. If so, you are ready to scale and need to get your processes in order.
For business owners, scaling means you want to increase revenue without investing more time or money. That may sound impossible, but it’s not. It’s about working smarter not harder and the first step is establishing efficient and effective processes.
Merriam-Webster says the definition of scaling is: to climb up or reach by means of a ladder. Today we’re going to talk about the components of that ladder, and how processes will help you scale to the top.
Systems and processes are the foundation of efficiency when it comes to scaling your business. Most new business owners start off doing all the work necessary to run their businesses, with very little automation. As you try to serve more clients, you’ll struggle to complete client work and also send invoices, do the marketing, and provide a smooth client journey. Suddenly all of your weak spots - the ones that have no strategy and suck up your time - will be magnified as you try to scale.
Here are some things to consider:
How are your clients finding you?
Is it through social media, referrals, email, networking, etc.? This is where the client journey starts.
How do you keep them moving?
If onboarding one client is already a challenge, imagine having to onboard ten new clients. How will you send quotes and proposals? If a client accepts your proposal, how will you give and receive information to move the project forward?
Project Management
It’s important to keep your client informed. What communication tools will you use - email, texting, Voxer?
Wrapping things up
Once your work is done, how will you keep in touch with your clients, especially if they might need your services again? Will you ask for feedback and testimonials?
These are all areas that require automation and delegation for successful scaling. I have my clients start by creating structured, repeatable systems.
Here are some ways to use processes and systems for effective scaling:
Delegating/outsourcing - team members, like a VA, or other contractor, can manage admin tasks, marketing, and even part of the actual client deliverables.
Maximizing offers - Offer workshops, switch from 1:1 offers to group programs, and add a passive income stream.
Here are the areas that benefit most from processes and systems:
Marketing - Streamline where you’re showing up, and create a strategy for the month, the quarter, and the year. Tools: CRM to track leads and conversations.
Content Creation - Save time and stay visible. Plan, batch, and schedule content in advance. Tools: Content scheduling - Hootsuite or Zoho, Canva for templates and graphics.
Repurpose content - Create content that’s versatile. One blog can be an independent post, the focus of an email newsletter, a LinkedIn article, and broken down into social posts.
Onboarding - Create consistency and show up more professionally by having automated questionnaires and payment systems, welcome emails, and seamless service delivery. Tools: Scheduling systems - Calendly or Acuity, automated proposals and contracts - Dubsado or 17 Hats.
Standardized workflows - It’s so much easier to focus on client work when a step-by-step framework is in place, removing the urge to reinvent the wheel with every new client. Tools: Project management - ClickUp or Asana, templates for reports, follow-ups, etc.
Automating questions and inquiries - Customer support, website FAQ page, chatbots, templated email responses to common issues and questions.
Scaling is about working smarter, not harder. Start optimizing - one system at a time. Schedule a time with me to see where you can save time and make more money by adding processes to your business!