Series - Jump-Start Your Small Business
Step 5 of 5 – Start Implementing Systems and Processes
Welcome to the last installment of the Jump-Start Your Business blog! This week, we look to the long-term and talk about a frequently overlooked but critical step for any business to ensure growth without you going crazy – systems and processes.
Now, the very nature of this topic lends itself to plenty of material to write about, but, as you will soon see, each business is very different, so the possibilities are endless. Rather than try to tackle everything, I will hit the high points to get you a running start to ensure a sustainable business future!
Invoicing Tools
May seem like a no-brainer, but you need to have a way to bill customers and accept payment from them. There are plenty of payment systems out there that also have their own invoicing built in, which makes for a seamless process. Just be aware that many of these companies take a small percentage of the sale as a “commission” for themselves in order to offer you the ease of accepting payments via their system.
· Some common systems (that have small fees)
o Square: www.squareup.com
o Stripe: www.stripe.com
o Paypal: www.paypal.com
o Venmo: www.venmo.com (no fee for money transfers or debit card payments)
· Accounting software or your local bank may also offer alternatives to these
And for those of you who want to do some more research to find out which payment system is right for you, check out this article: https://www.thebalance.com/best-payment-apps-4159058
Meeting Tools
Many businesses center around meeting with people, either to make a potential sale, vet a prospect, meet with teammates, or discuss wholesaling your products through various outlets. If you find that you are needing to talk with people, you should probably consider a Meeting Tool, especially if your business benefits when you talk face-to-face to build rapport or if you are using a sales presentation.
Having been in Corporate America for a very long time, I am used to meeting virtually using bigger enterprise tools like Cisco Webex. But not to fear, there is a growing market of tools out there that are perfect for Small Business Owners.
Here are a few that I have used before, and if you would like more details, you can check out this article: https://smallbiztrends.com/2019/02/online-meeting-software-small-business.html
· Zoom: www.zoom.us , they offer a free platform for up to 3 callers for 30 minutes – perfect for touching base with a team member or a 30-minute introductory sales meeting
· Google Hangout: www.gsuite.google.com/hangouts , very easy to use and very reasonably priced (starts at $6/month)
Sure, you can always call someone on the phone, but using a Meeting Tool elevates your game and your professionalism with your clients!
Calendar Tools
Once you start having meetings, you will quickly realize you need a way to keep track of all of them so you don’t miss any important conversations!
This one is very much up to personal preference, but I would strongly suggest finding a tool that meets at least these two requirements:
1. Integrates with whatever Meeting Tool and phone (iOS or Android) you are using so you don’t have to remember to plug in a meeting on both systems
2. Allows you to send your calendar to folks you want to meet with, so they can SEE and CHOOSE an available slot – this saves on a TON of annoying back-and-forth
Here are some of the calendar tools in the spotlight these days, and if you would like to read more – check out this article! https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/11084-best-shared-calendar-apps-business.html
· Calendly – www.calendly.com – super easy to use for your customers, just send them a link and they can choose from available time slots on your calendar
· Google Calendar – www.gsuite.google.com/calendar - another easy tool that connects to your own google calendar
There’s not really a “right or wrong” on this tool type, just try a couple and see what works best for you. Test out calendar invites on your friends and family (and yourself!) so you can see what the experience will be like for your customers before you ever hit “send” to a potential client!
Customer Contact Database (CRM)
Now that you are holding meetings and getting some customers, you need to keep track of your clients’ information. This isn’t just phone numbers and email addresses, but can include where they are at in the sales cycle, what their preferences are (like football teams, do they like dogs, etc) to help you with meaningful connections, etc.
I use HubSpot’s free CRM (for now) – it is easy to set up and offers quite a bit for no cost. But there are other tools out there as well – check them out!
Each tool has its pros and cons, again, it’s just a matter of what works best for you. Look for tools that can capture business card info as an added feature – a big time saver!
Accounting/Bookkeeping System
Once you start spending and earning money in your business, you will want to keep track of the ins-and-outs with an accounting system. This is especially handy during tax season – makes it super easy to share with your CPA/Accountant. Quickbooks is by far the leader in the realm, but there are others.
Check out this article to give you some more information to help you choose what’s right for you and your business! https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/7543-best-accounting-software.html
Project Management Tool
Now that you are connected to your customers, bringing in some revenue, and are ready to grow to have bigger projects or more team members, it’s time to look for a Project Management tool.
Think of these tools as ways to keep you organized, on track to hit deadlines, and keep your team members on the same page.
There are a lot of tools on the market – look for one that fit your style best. Are you a visual person, do you like tracking against deadlines/dates (or does that make you cringe), do you have multiple team members who will be working on deliverables, etc. Each tool does a little something different, but there is something for everyone out there – read more here: https://zapier.com/blog/best-project-management-software-small-business/
Phew! – this was a LOT to cover in one week, but don’t feel like you have to tackle all of this at once! Take baby steps – focus on one thing at a time that will help you make the biggest impact to your daily business operation and your own sanity!
At the end of the day, these tools are meant to help you save time and keep track of the myriad of things you’ve got going on in your business. It will take some time to dial them in and get them working in concert together, so be patient and remember, if it doesn’t work, you don’t have to use it! Try something else, you’ll be glad you did!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this series on Jump-Starting Your Business! Please feel free to leave a comment or reach out to me should you have any questions or would like to discuss any of the blog content further – I’m here to help!