Creating Processes for Solopreneurs
When I first started my business, I was doing all the things, all the time and had zero system or process in place. Let’s be real – these things take time to implement, and sometimes you have to really be IN it to realize what you’re going to need in order to run your business effectively. Live and learn, right?!
After a few hectic months, I did a little experiment. I applied myself an hourly rate for every task I did, and oooohhh, what a wakeup call. I quickly realized how valuable my time was, which helped me to realize how much time was actually being wasted.
As much as we all love to believe that “we’ve got this!” systems and processes are *literally* here to help you. They exist so you can save time, and so that things can run as smoothly as possible. Eventually, these systems should be easily passed off as tasks to future employees.
As important as structure and systems can be, I’ve learned that it is equally important to be flexible with your processes – In the staging business, projects and schedules can often change last minute. But even still, having those systems in place ensures that things stay on track as best as they possibly can.
All sounds great, right? Soooo, how the heck do you create a process?! Here are a few methods that worked well for me as I was getting into the swing of this whole “structure,” thing:
1. Give yourself an hourly rate so you can recognize how valuable your time is. THIS is the key in making the most out of your time.
2. Write out all the tasks you do in your business. Every. Single. One.
3. For each task, write out the steps you do in order to complete the task.
4. Now, study the steps for each task and think of ways to make them more time efficient. Can you simplify any of the tasks? Are each of the steps necessary? Is there a way to automate something? For example, if you tend to write the same type of email over and over, try creating a document with your standard email responses so that next time, it’s copy-paste alllll the way. And, here’s a big one (that admittedly can be a bit scary as a solo-biz owner!) – can you outsource a step or task?!
5. Rewrite your steps for each task taking into account everything in step four. Wooah, you’ve created processes!
Yes – creating the systems takes a few hours of your *very, very* valuable time, but it’s SO worth it for what you’ll save in future stress! Happy protocol-ing!
