CROSSROADS CLARITY...2014/04/12 · to get out of overwhelm, improve their systems, hire new employees, or just sit and think about where they want to go and how to get there. Why

CLARITY

5 Steps to discovering your path to purposeful business growth

GUIDE AND WORKBOOK

C R O S S R O A D S

© 2014 Crossroads Professional Coaching, Reprint by Permission Only www.crossroadcoach.com

Blazing a Trail Why even smart business owners end up stuck, overwhelmed, or lost. Entrepreneurs are bold. They are people who turn possibility into reality. They are famous for hanging out a shingle and then hustling to see if they can make it work. Few develop a full business plan first, and most soon discover that they are stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure how to create more growth. After talking to hundreds of business owners, I can tell you there’s a pattern. If you can relate to this, you are not alone. The story usually goes something like this: I decided that I could do better, have more flexibility, and more control if I just started my own business. Why work so hard for someone else? I decided to go low budget and see if I could make it work. Before I knew it I was working constantly. I spent 40-hrs/week [practicing law, selling computers, etc.] but then it was like a second full-time job following up on orders, keeping up the bills, hiring employees - running my business. I was soon working even more hours than I was when I worked for the [big corporation, law firm, hospital] because:

• I am terrible at accounting. • I can't find employees who can do

what I can do, or care as much. • Sales are up and down - they

aren’t consistent. Now that I have run out of hours in the day, I am stuck. I can’t grow anymore because I can’t do anymore.

If this sounds familiar, the Crossroads Clarity Kit will assist you in stepping back to evaluate your business and guide you in rebuilding your foundation to support and even allow for new growth again.


Overview The 5 Steps to discovering your path to purposeful business growth… Off the Beaten Path Step 1: Discover what’s keeping you stuck. All small businesses face real challenges to growth and success. In fact, many never get past these obstacles. This section will show you a simple formula for getting unstuck and defining your PATH to clarity and success. Know Before You Go Step 2: Clarify your vision Skipping the simple steps here causes most of your problems down the road – problems that can be avoided.

Make an Impression Step 3: Define a Distinct Point of Difference There’s a significant chasm between what makes you great and what your future customers actually care about and will pay for. Bridge this gap, or stay stuck.

Create a Dream Team Step 4: Assemble and Lead a Strong Team Step 2 and 3 are usually just things people skip because they’re in a hurry. But assembling a team is a sticking point because it is actually pretty hard to do it well.

Take Control Step 5: Create Systems that Support Growth Work doesn’t have to be so hard. You don’t have to be a workaholic to succeed. In this section, you’ll learn to create streamlined systems for everything from finances and operations, to marketing and sales.


Off the Beaten Path Step 1: Discover what’s keeping you stuck. Basically, if you look at the P.A.T.H to Purpose and Clarity, you can see that the majority of businesses skipped the first two crossroads in the map and started at crossroad three - trying to sell something. Entrepreneurs are smart and work hard. They usually find some initial success. But, then they hit a ceiling. Why? Because:

• They didn’t have a clear vision or build a solid foundation to support growth (Crossroad 1).

• They don’t have a unique point of difference that keeps their marketing and sales messages focused as they grow. (Crossroad 1)

• They don’t have a strong team that matches their culture and are invested in their business and business systems that make it possible to scale up without imploding. (Crossroad 2)

• They don’t have business systems that are scalable and business expertise that is transferable to employees. (Crossroad 2)

Getting Back on Track Don't worry - there’s hope. In my experience small business can get unstuck and find their best path to purposeful growth by just taking a little time to go back and follow-through on the foundational steps highlighted on the P.A.T.H to Purpose and Clarity.


Most successful businesses may start out by throwing the spaghetti at the wall, however, when it begins to stick, they find they are just too busy keeping it going to do anything to get out of overwhelm, improve their systems, hire new employees, or just sit and think about where they want to go and how to get there. Why you should use the P.A.T.H. to Purpose and Clarity now:

• It is much easier to develop systems and processes when a business is small, then once it becomes large.

• This is also the time to make sure you build the culture of your business and establish your business on your Christian values.

• Sales are usually stronger and costs lower if you have a vision/mission, strategies and plans. It reduces mistakes, redirection, and poor execution.

• Turnover is one of the highest cost expenses to plague a business.

Pushing a business forward with out these foundation building blocks is like building your business on sand, not rock! And when the storms come many small businesses do not survive. Even if you are not experiencing the overwhelm or feeling stuck, you can discover where your business is on P.A.T.H to Purpose and Clarity Map and discover you best path to purposeful, solid growth.

24 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." Matthew 7:24-27


Action Step:

Growth Opportunity Assessment The Growth Opportunity Assessment is divided into sections that correspond to the 4 Crossroads on the P.A.T.H. Map. Answer the questions in each section and then add up your score. Your scores in each section will tell you where you are stuck. You’ll use the scores to see which area of this guide and workbook to focus on first – which areas are your business’ ‘growth opportunity.’

⇒ Any section in which you score less than 30 points is an area that needs improvement.

⇒ If the Vision & Culture section is under 30

points, you should always start with this area first no matter how low the scores in other areas may be.

If you have more than two areas that score under 30 points, then pick only the lowest scoring area to focus on first.


Growth Opportunity Assessment

Vision and Culture

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1 I have a written vision of how I want my business to look 1 year from now.

0 1 3 5

2 I have a written vision of what my business looks like 5 year from now.

0 1 3 5

3 I have written down the values and/or mission behind my vision – what is driving me.

0 1 3 5

4 If you asked my employees what the vision and mission are, they would know exactly what to say.

0 1 3 5

5 If you asked my customers what the mission of our company was, they would have a pretty good idea.

0 1 3 5

6 I have shared my core values with every employee in the company.

0 1 3 5

7 My daily actions are aligned with my core values. 0 1 3 5

8 My daily, weekly and monthly goals are keeping me on track to realizing my 1-year vision.

0 1 3 5

Section Total

Add up all the numbers you circled and enter your total.

____________ out of 40

If you scored under 30 points in this section, pay special attention to Step 2 in the Clarity Kit Guide & Workbook. You have opportunity to create growth and get unstuck by paying special attention to this area of your business.


Point of Difference

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1 We have a logo we are happy with that truly captures our value and personality.

0 1 3 5

2 I can tell prospects confidently & persuasively - in under 10 seconds - exactly why they should choose us.

0 1 3 5

3 I have a written description (avatar) of my most highly motivated prospect.

0 1 3 5

4 I can tell you something we do that is genuinely different from or better than our biggest competitors.

0 1 3 5

5 We have a pithy tagline that expresses our unique value.

0 1 3 5

6 We are not chasing multiple different markets. We are focused on a specific niche.

0 1 3 5

7 Our sales reps have talking points to use that keep us all delivering a consistent message.

0 1 3 5

8 Our website gives an instant impression that is very much true to who we are and what our customers want.

0 1 3 5

Section Total


____________ out of 40



Systems: People

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1 I know the skills & characteristics I need in my team to match our culture & meet our business needs.

0 1 3 5

2 I have an organizational plan of what my team will look like to accomplish the vision of my company

0 1 3 5

3 I have a plan in place to attract, recruit and hire people as my company grows.

0 1 3 5

4 I have just the right people in each position in my company. Could not be happier.

0 1 3 5

5 My team understands and cares about the vision of the company.

0 1 3 5

6 I have job descriptions and scheduled performance reviews with each person on my team.

0 1 3 5

7 I can step away from my business for a full day and my team can take care of everything.

0 1 3 5

8 I fully delegate responsibility and authority to my people. They are empowered to achieve results.

0 1 3 5

Section Total


____________ out of 40



Systems: Money

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1 I know what my highest profit margin product or service is.

0 1 3 5

2 I can tell you exactly what our closing rate is for new prospects.

0 1 3 5

3 I have a pretty good idea of how much money, over time, each prospect is worth.

0 1 3 5

4 I know how much I should spend this month on marketing.

0 1 3 5

5 I know how much sales I need to break-even. 0 1 3 5

6 My financial information is available in an easy to read format and matches accounting principles.

0 1 3 5

7 My financial info is up to date and available within a couple of weeks of the prior month completion.

0 1 3 5

8 I understand how much money I need in available cash flow to pay my fixed expenses.

0 1 3 5

Section Total


____________ out of 40



Systems: Operations

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1 I could step away from my business for a week and my team could take care of everything.

0 1 3 5

2 When a new hire comes on board, there is a defined training process for them to go through.

0 1 3 5

3 When a new lead comes in, we have a system for following up on that lead and tracking the sale.

0 1 3 5

4 I have set aside specific times to work ‘on’ my business, not just ‘in’ my business.

0 1 3 5

5 When a new client comes on board, we have set procedures on how to work with them and get them started.

0 1 3 5

6 Customers and vendors are responded to in a timely manner by a knowledgeable person.

0 1 3 5

7 We have automated most of the processes in our business that automation is available.

0 1 3 5

8 We have tested process improvements and believe we are using efficient processes in most of our operations.

0 1 3 5

Section Total


____________ out of 40



Systems: Marketing

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1 My sales team members have solid marketing materials that make them look good.

0 1 3 5

2 Our website gives an instant impression that is very much true to who we are and what our customers want.

0 1 3 5

3 Our website has a specific, prominent way for people to take action (call us, fill out a form, request a quote, etc)

0 1 3 5

4 All our communications to customers go out on branded letterhead with our logo.

0 1 3 5

5 If you type in our city and our industry, we are in the top 10 results in Google.

0 1 3 5

6 I have an up-to-date Linked In page and/or Facebook page.

0 1 3 5

7 We have a steady stream of incoming, high quality leads for new business and new customers.

0 1 3 5

8 We have a written marketing plan with a budget. 0 1 3 5

Section Total


____________ out of 40



Systems: Sales

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1 I have a specific plan of strategies and tactics to grow sales.

0 1 3 5

2 I follow-up within a few hours on all sales opportunities.

0 1 3 5

3 I always send customers quotes and additional information as promised.

0 1 3 5

4 I have a system to keep up with sales prospects and leads efficiently.

0 1 3 5

5 I am effective at closing a high percentage of sales proposals.

0 1 3 5

6 I have a strong amount of repeat business or high retention of customers.

0 1 3 5

7 I have other tools to use to sell, not just price. 0 1 3 5

8 I am charging and receiving market rates for my goods and services.

0 1 3 5

Section Total


____________ out of 40



Know Before You Go Step 2: Clarify your Vision What is a vision? To me it is the ultimate picture of the business you want to create. I believe that for Christian business people God gives us our vision. The mission is the impact we want to have with our business. It is the purpose of our business. I am not talking about having a plaque on your wall that states your corporate mission in paragraphs that no one could remember if they wanted to. I am posing just two primary questions:

• Where are you going? • Why?

There is a reason you started your business. What is that reason and what are you hoping your business will look like down the road? I have read three 2010 copyright books in the past two months that all espouse that the key motivator for employees and stakeholders of a company is: To have challenging and important work! If they do not know the purpose of the business they are working in, or for, how can they feel that their work is Important? Who needs to know? Everyone. It really doesn’t matter what kind of work you do, it is important to someone. We may not think a business cutting grass is very exciting, but it is for the busy corporate executive who get’s to enjoy time with their family rather than mowing grass on Saturday. It is for the neighbors who all used to talk about your yard, and your laziness, before the grass cutters were on the job. The


Mission for the Grass Mowing company could be:

• Making neighborhoods beautiful. • Keeping peace between neighbors. • Doing our part to help busy people have time for

their families. • Taking care of the everyday stuff so you can do what

you were born to do.

When I was running restaurants one of the most important jobs was the dishwasher: We had to have dishes. If they were not clean the guest’s experience would be ruined. Clean dishes kept health standards up, reducing liability and protecting health. Dirty dishes would be a PR/Marketing nightmare. If the dishwasher didn’t show up, someone else had to do it. We could skip making a certain dish if we are out of an ingredient or if the chef who created it was sick...but we had to have dishes.


Worksheet: Your Business Vision Why did you choose to own a business? What was your inspiration? What, in your life, made it worth working this hard? What motivates you? What does it mean to you to run your own business? What is the main product or service of your business? What impact do you have on others through your business? Who benefits from what you do? Write a couple of sentences describing where you are going. How will your business look if it goes the way you want it to? What will your employees say about working for you?


What will your competitors say about your business? What will your customers say about your business? How involved will you be on a day-to-day basis? How big will the business be, how much revenue, how many employees? What impact will you have on your community? BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS: Visioneering, by Andy Stanley Rework, by Jason Fried


Make an Impression Step 3: Define a Strong Point of Difference A strong point of difference is one of the fundamental building blocks of a strong brand, and a strong message. As a small company, you may not need to invest heavily in brand awareness and brand education the way larger companies with deeper pockets do. But you do still need a strong, consistent brand message if you hope to reach and persuade your prospects. Branding is an effort to answer some of the most important questions in marketing a business product or service in a competitive economy. Your potential customers have so many messages vying for their attention that it is easy for yours to be completely obscured in the white noise. Even if they find you, there are usually many other products, services, or companies they could choose instead of yours. You have a very limited window of time to make a visceral, memorable impact. As important as that instantaneous emotional reaction is, branding goes beyond those first seconds, too. It helps you broadcast a credible, desirable, and consistent promise that speaks directly to what your ideal prospects desire. Ideally, it triggers the right immediate emotional reaction (which governs the buying decision), but also follows up with reasonable, memorable messages that give them supporting logic to justify their emotional reaction. In developing a brand, you answer critical questions, like:

• Who are you (as a company)? • What makes your company special? • Why should a prospect choose you? • What do you offer that is of enough value to make

prospects willingly pay the fees you ask for?


• How is your company different from other companies prospects could choose?

• How is your product/service different and better than other products/services they could choose?

This is not just a mission statement. A mission statement may be useful in keeping you focused on your business goals. But your core brand message serves a different purpose. It must actually reach your audience emotionally with a proposition that is compelling enough that the actually take action. One of the most important ways to create this compelling reason to act is to credibly show prospects that you actually have something unique that they want – that they can’t get anywhere else. This is no small task. But here is a worksheet to get you started thinking in this direction.


Worksheet: How are you different from your competition?

1. FIRST: Is there anything you do or offer that you were the very first in your industry to do/offer?

2. BEST: Can you, credibly, claim to be the best at anything?

3. ONLY: Is there anything you do that no one else does – that you are the only one to do or offer?


Creating Uniqueness Most people have trouble coming up with anything to genuinely respond to the “first, best, only” questions. If you can’t readily answer that you are the first, best or only in your industry, don’t worry. Just get creative. If you narrow your niche, or create proprietary systems or products, you can literally create legitimate first, only and best claims that are meaningful and compelling to your audience. For example: Perhaps, as a realtor, you are not the first to sell a house. But, let’s narrow that down until you can claim to be the first…

- Not the first to sell a house

- Not the first to sell a house in your city - Not the first to sell newly built homes in your city

- But perhaps the first to sell newly built homes that pass the LEED environmental standard in your city?

Suddenly you have an exclusive claim – and it even points you in the direction of which niche audience you should be pursuing – the audience that cares about that claim. More examples:

- The first realtor to specialize in housing for single moms who are also veterans. (FIRST)

- The only realtor in the region who offers a 24-hour guarantee. I’ll show you your first home within 24 hours of our first meeting. (ONLY)

- The most knowledgeable about local government housing subsidies. (BEST)

In order to create these kinds of unique promises you must know your audience AND your own value really well.


Worksheet: Your Target Market Describe your ideal prospect: List this prospects three biggest problems (that you solve) as THEY would describe them: 1. 2. 3. List this prospect’s three biggest fears. Try to describe them as they would themselves describe them (Focus on fears that your product/services addresses): 1. 2. 3.


List this prospect’s three greatest desires (not needs that you see, but what they think they want that you know using your service/product can effect): 1. 2. 3. List this prospects three motivation emotions or ‘buying emotions’ 1. 2. 3.


Create a Dream Team Step 4: Assemble and Lead a Strong Team The most important aspect of your team is finding the “right people”. The “right people” include a combination of talent, work ethic, timing, cost, and cultural fit. THE FIVE C’S OF RECRUITING

• Consider (current and) future needs. • Consistently Court prospects. • Cultivate internal candidates. • Connect with external networks. • Captivate through casting your vision.

STEP 1: Consider (current and) future needs. Organizational planning seems like overkill when you are a company of one, or less than a handful, but in actuality becomes even more important than larger corporations. Making that first hire you are doubling your staff! In planning for future staffing needs you should always: Prioritize based on skills and competencies that compliment your strengths, and or team’s strengths. This is a nice way of saying; if it is an area that your team is weak, fill in the gaps. Focus on people who enable growth in Revenue (Increase the Top Line). Added revenue increases capacity to solve problems and to build foundation i.e. cash can solve a lot of operational problems. This may look like adding support people so you can spend all of your time on sales. It may be adding


service people to support ongoing contracts. The idea is to put people in place that support growing revenue. Time - according to cash flow projections. Stay lean but ensure that the team can maintain high quality and service standards. Here is the question I ask, “If we wait on this hire will our work still glorify God?” Consider creative ways to fill in the needs and gaps of the team. There are opportunities to hire part-time employees, contract employees, or utilize vendors for various business functions. Forming joint ventures is another way of solving resource issues on specific projects. STEP 2: Consistently Court prospects. As small businesses we are constantly considering cash flow, expense management and contingency plans if our strategies fall short of expectations. It is an interesting psychology because I rarely encounter people who are planning for success. And the last thing we want is to create our own self-fulfilling prophecy. If we execute our sales plans and achieve stellar results will we be able to fulfill the orders for product or services in an excellent manner? What will that take? These need to be the questions that stay in the forefront of our minds! WHEN (NOT IF) we are successful, are we ready? I urge all small businesses to recruit 365 days out of the year! How?

• Have conversations with vendors and customers. Build relationships, as these stakeholders are excellent forms of referrals for team members. Sometimes they want the job!


• Stay involved with your industry through trade shows, forums, and associations. Know the “stars” in the industry.

• Let friends and relatives know when you are looking for a new employee or just share what is going on in your business. You will be surprised at the names mentioned in these types of conversations.

• Find industry job sites to periodically review and peruse online resumes.

When you find someone you are interested in, yet you are not ready to hire, nurture the relationship. You should build rapport, get contact information, and keep in touch. STEP 3: Cultivate internal Candidates. If you are doing STEP 1, consider future needs, you will know what the next opportunities are in your organization.

• Make sure all of your employees know what these opportunities MAY be WELL IN ADVANCE of the hire.

• Inform them of key criteria for a successful

candidate in upcoming positions. • Encourage them to let you know their career

interests.

• Proactively inform them of their development needs.

• Openly share with them that when the time comes to hire if they are ready they will be considered but if they aren’t you will have to fill the position outside.

If you are thinking that the current employees fit perfectly in the roles they are in, and you don’t want to rock the boat, here are the reasons to do so:

• Open communication builds trust.


• Opportunities motivate employees to perform where they are and to focus on their own professional development.

• Morale is heavily impacted when employees feel that they are overlooked and that external people are receiving all of the opportunities.

• You put the ball in the employee’s court to get qualified in time for the opportunity they want.

• If they aren’t ready, the communication about an outside hire or another internal choice is much easier. And you can use it to encourage them about the future opportunities that you know are coming!

STEP 4: Connect with External Networks Keep in mind all of the connection opportunities in STEP 2: Consistently Court prospects. However, this step goes deeper. In STEP 2 we are seeking leads, relationships, and referrals. In this step, we are putting our Name out into the industry and the community. We are creating a communication strategy that says:

• We are the new player in the industry. • We are making things happen. • We have a growing team. • We have a Vision and Mission. • We are a great place to work. • We are in the Community. • We are Connected!!

This image building creates opportunities for sales and TEAM MEMBERS. A few ideas on how to build your BRAND:

• Get involved in industry events. • Speak at association meetings, industry conferences,

and community events.


• Sponsor or donate to important community projects that you adopt or that are a fit for your business.

• Share information i.e. blogs, newsletters, social media.

• Publicize your projects and work. • Collaborate with colleagues and leverage their

networks. • SHARE, SHARE, SHARE!

STEP 5: Captivate through casting your vision! In big business recruiting you think of the poor candidate sitting in front of a panel of corporate managers assembled to drill the guy about why he feels himself worthy of the interview much less a job at their fine institution. Okay, now come back to reality. WE aren’t APPLE or P&G or STARBUCKS! We are SMALL BUSINESSES. We are working on our image through STEP 4, but most of us need to help the candidate envision what we are destined to become! We want to cast our vision whether that is to be the #1 player in the local market or just to make a small difference in the lives of the customers God brings to us. We have a vision. We have passion. We love what we are doing. If we don’t, we shouldn’t be doing it.

And if we are not able to illustrate what we can be....

If our passion does not shine through.....

If we can’t capture the candidates imagination....

- then who can???

It is our job to sell the candidate on our business first! We want them salivating over the opportunity! Why?


• We want to attract candidates with successful track records, not someone just desperate for a job.

• We want to set the bar clearly for all new hires so they will hit the ground running!

• We want full buy-in to our vision and mission. • We want to hear through the interview how they feel

they can contribute to achieving the company’s dreams.

• We want them talking about us to everyone they know.

We want to have the negotiation leverage, not them. Selling our business to candidates motivates and inspires them and it motivates and inspires us. It is fun. It creates momentum. It is our job!


Worksheet: Create a Dream Team What are the current gaps in your teams skills and expertise? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. List stakeholders who may be a future source of candidate referrals: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. List any internal candidates who, even if they need further training and development, may have the right personal traits and qualifications for these new openings based on the requirements you outlined as part of “The First C.” 1. 2. 3.


What developmental needs do each of these potential candidates have that you could help them start working on now? 1. 2. 3. 4. What external networking activity will you pursue? 1. 2. 3. What are the key points you would have to cover in order to CAST YOUR VISION? 1. 2. 3.


Leadership is required to develop and maintain a strong team. Once we decide to go into a business that requires employees, we are by default leaders. The question is will you be a good leader or poor leader. In order to be a good leader, foundationally, we must first learn to lead ourselves. Let us start first by getting our own house in order. The concept of a leader is that we are one leading many! To effectively do this we must address several tactical skills that are needed for any individual to even LEAD THEMSELVES! The key ones that I see many small business owners and professionals struggle with are:

1. Time management - which encompasses the ability to manage our time with integrity, prioritizing first things first, and achieve completion.

2. Delegation - learning the art of properly delegating responsibility and authority along with tasks.

3. Conflict resolution - face issues confidently and with compassion to ensure that they are resolved in a timely and productive manner.

4. Accountability - looking at results, expecting solutions, requiring effort.

5. Stress Management - somewhere between “the sky is falling” and “never letting them see you sweat”.

Mastering these 5 skills provides a foundation for self-management and thereby leading by example. Biblically, Jesus showed a servant leadership style, however, in general He led by example:

• He lived the sinless life that He wants for us. • He managed His time by prioritizing time to teach,

time to rest, time to pray. • He delegated to His apostles to create and grow the

church and to spread the Good News.


• He resolved conflict by addressing it head-on i.e. told the Pharisees straight up what he thought, told the sinless man to cast the first stone, told the Samaritan woman to sin no more.

• And well, stress management, who but the greatest leader of all time could face the cross without blame, without excuse, and with humility and immeasurable courage, fulfill God’s vision for the salvation of mankind.

How would you rate yourself in each area: ____ Time management ____ Delegation ____ Conflict resolution ____ Accountability ____ Stress Management


Take Control Step 5: Strengthen Your Systems Policies, procedures, and systems are the other integral part to building your business foundation for growth. I know this isn’t the fun part, but it is what enables us to keep the fun parts of marketing, sales and people, growing. Financial Systems I know as a Christian business owner we feel like we shouldn’t focus on the money, however, it is a significant business resource and a metric of business health. We are called to be a good steward of the resources God provides. Today we have tools, systems and procedures available to manage the cash flow and financial reporting of your business. This includes a separate checking account, an accounting system like Quick Books, company credit cards, loans, quarterly tax payments, etc. Make sure the tools are in place so you can exercise your stewardship in a Godly way. Here are some areas to consider in your financial systems: Do you have accurate financial accounting? We need it for:

• tax purposes • cash flow management • creditors – they require it

Do you have reports to help you manage your business? Management Reports help us in the areas of:


• expense management • profitability by product line/business/initiative • trends vs. plans

Do you have adequate capitalization in your business?

• To pay for fixed operating expenses for the first few months of business while you grow.

• To invest in marketing up front to get your sales growing more quickly.

• To pay yourself so you can work on your business full-time.

Having systems and resources lined up to fund your business is essential to supporting your growth and making good decisions about your business. Operational Systems

- Operations: Streamline your Business

o skip this if you scored over 30 on the assessment

o Content about automation and processes, etc.

Operational systems include policies, procedures and automation of your business processes.

• If everyone in your organization fills out a different type of time sheet on a different schedule, payroll will be a nightmare.

• If everyone in your company set-up new customers

in the customer management system with different information and different tags, it will take forever to find the data you need.

• If one of your service techs handles a service call

differently than the other service techs the customer


may be confused and wonder if they are getting the right service for their problem.

Plus, it could take one service tech twice as long as another because they are not using a proven process. This either costs the business or the customer twice as much. What processes and systems you develop is dependent upon the type of business you run, however, all businesses should document key operating procedures of the business so that new employees can be quickly and accurately trained to ensure consistency in quality of output. Here are some fundamental processes that most businesses need to get you started:

• Customer service policies and procedures – things like how quickly we need to respond to a customer call or inquiry, how we handle returns, how we handle complaints, etc.

• Employee policies and procedures – vacation policy, sick policy, expense reimbursement policy, and even hiring and termination policies.

• Operational processes – document your process for collecting accounts receivable, handling a service call, or billing a customer. This area is truly unlimited. The more tasks and processes that can be document, the more consistency and efficiency will be achieved.

Questions to ask your self: Do you have an employee handbook? Do you have documented processes to use for training of each position in your company? Have you automated as many processes as possible within your organization?


Opportunities to automate: This really is determined by what type of business is being operated.

ü Could include a Point of Sale System, Fulfillment System, Customer Contact System

ü Should include a time management system with calendar and task management

ü Each step of your operation should be document for easy review and training of new employees. This ensures consistency in service or fulfillment.

Sales and Marketing Systems: The most effective system for sales and marketing is consistency and follow-through. These are made possible with these components: A written marketing plan – the majority of small businesses implement what I call “roller coaster marketing”. Roller coaster marketing is when we hustle and employ all of our marketing efforts in a flurry until we get a big sale or a couple of new clients. Then we don’t do any marketing until we finish the sale or need clients. A written marketing plan consistently implemented will provide a pipeline of new sales or customers. Written procedures on how to execute a marketing or sales tactic. An example, if you mail out product information to a prospect, however, do not follow-up with a phone call or visit in a timely manner, the response to your materials will be low. If you follow-up timely with predetermined follow-up steps you should have a better response or at least know that it wasn’t your execution causing the program to fail.


Worksheet: Solidify Your Systems In which area do you need to enhance/solidify your foundations for your business? ___Money Systems ___People Systems ___Operational Systems ___Marketing/Sales Systems I need to investigate automating the following areas of my business? In the next 90 days, I need to establish or enhance the following policies and procedures? I will need to get the following people involved to get these action items complete:

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CROSSROADS CLARITY...2014/04/12 · to get out of overwhelm, improve their systems, hire new employees, or just sit and think about where they want to go and how to get there. Why