The Author of the most practical business book - Secrets To Retail Riches – provides the following article on the most effective way to build and use effective systems in your business.

SYSTEMS

The word ‘Systems ‘ has become clichéd within the business community – It’s one of those buzzwords that everyone throws around and everyone is aware of, but so very few people actually know –

· when a system is needed
· how to easily build and implement an effective system
· how to test the system they developed.

Ultimately, you want to be working less in your business (maybe even not at all) and earning far more than you currently are. Good Systems will allow you to do this.

Systems will increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the skill and activity and therefore increase results.

Systems allow the staff to follow documented methods and ways of doing and saying things that produce a proven, consistent result.

You need to be aware of that most business problems are the result of one or both of the following causes

· The owner spends all his / her time working in the business and not on the business.
· No staff training program in place.

Effective systems and methods in all areas of your business will save you time and increase profitability! They also allow other staff to complete some activities you are currently doing, exactly as you want them done – again freeing more of your valuable time.

As your selling skills and systems and methods improve, your workload decreases, but your results will increase! You need to implement these systems now to give your business the best opportunity to grow and succeed.

Systems are what make your business work for you, rather than you work for your business. They are a simple and logical process that guides your business and its employees to effectively manage and monitor their activity. It gives consistent results and should be easy to use and manage.

In essence, a system is a repeatable process that produces a profit.

In a previous article, I wrote about how really only 20% of the activities you complete in your business generate 80% of the income for your business and they’re the activities you need to concentrate on. So the other tasks should be delegated – either outsourced or done by staff. These are the first tasks you need to develop a system for.

Not all systems are written!

- An important point which far too few people realize. Business owners always say to me they don’t have time to write all these things down. GOOD! Not all systems need to be written and even the ones that are should be done in other media also as different people learn different ways. Some need to read, but some prefer audio or video.

Lets say you were training a staff member and knew that within a short time you expected to be hiring more staff. You would probably have a lot of information to teach this new person. Too much information for you to sit down and type it all. So why not give the new staff member a video camera and get him to follow you around filming you?

You now only have to go over each task once. The staff member can then always watch through parts of the video again for any of the tasks he forgot how to do. More importantly, any new person joining your business can watch the same video and gain the same information all without you having to do any more work!

Now all you need to do is test the system.

Take someone who is not familiar with the process, provide them with the written, audio and / or video documentation on the procedure and provide the training you deem necessary to perform that task, then ask them to do it.

If the task is not completed exactly as you want it, the failing is most likely with your system and not with the individual following it. Ask for feedback. Find out where the confusion or misunderstanding was within the document.

Once refined, you have a proven system. The proven systems allow you to put people into position and train them to use the system effectively to get the desired result in your business. Thus your business is not dependant on any one person within the company and if done correctly, can be run the way you want it, without you having to be there!

I can help you with that and every aspect of your business through my step by step, hand holding mentoring program.

At this site you can access over $2,000 of bonuses for FREE to help you and your business.

© Andrew Carter 2008 – not to be reproduced without including the Authors Bio with the article.