Reader Question: “I’m a solopreneur. So why would I need to write down how I do things? I’m not actually going to read them, so wouldn’t setting up complex systems be a waste of time?”
Read Time: 3 Minutes
This is a valid question; trust me; I get it.
It can seem silly to purposely overthink how you accomplish a task instead of just doing it, but here’s the deal. Winging it is actually costing you more time than setting up your systems would take!
I know a day spent creating workflows, back-end systems, and crafting 25+ email templates isn’t everyone’s idea of a great day, but once you have these things in place, you could save at least 20 hours a month!
I don’t know about you, but that’s an entire week’s worth of work for me! Plus, the reason I’m able to work only 20 hours a week as a solopreneur is my systems.
So, what could you accomplish with an extra 20 hours a month?
Let’s dive in and talk about why even solopreneurs need systems:
5 REASONS SOLOPRENEURS NEED SYSTEMS
Weekly High Five
1
Ability To Outsource
Without establishing systems and processes, your business is completely reliant on you. No decision can be made without your input. You can’t outsource tasks that are eating up your time or hire the help of an expert for tasks outside of your wheelhouse.
2
Automation
According to Moz, 59% of people surveyed “believe that they would have more than six spare hours per week if repetitive jobs were automated.”⠀But how do you automate part of your process if you can’t guarantee the same process each time?
3
Brand Consistency
Do you ever struggle to piece together contracts, proposals, welcome packets, or even an email? Does each piece of information you send a client align with what your brand stands for, what other clients have received, or exemplify the elevated experience you hope to provide?
4
Client Experience
Have you ever forgotten to ask your client a question and then had to go back and ask later? Or failed to send out their client gift? Maybe you forgot to attach their welcome packet? All of these mistakes could’ve been avoided with your Client Management System.
5
Creating Templates
I always say, “If you find yourself doing something more than once, make a template for it.” This will save you so much time and many headaches, but creating templates is hard when you don’t know when you’ll use them or what for.
Don’t get me wrong; you may not need to spend hours writing out Standard Operating Procedures yet since you’d be the only one reading them. But systems are much more than SOPs.
Systems are automations, templates, knowing what to prioritize and when, ensuring your clients have a top-notch experience, and so much more. Trust me when I say: they pay for themselves, in both time and money.
