Systems to Start Early

While scrolling the gram a couple of weeks ago I discovered an account called “systems saved me” and just fell in love with the name. So creative! So accurate! I love everything about it. The words still linger in my mind even long after I scrolled by.

Side note: I’m in a phase where I’m not following any influencers or large accounts right now. It’s a little social experiment on myself

Systems are a crucial part of the success or failure of your business. It’s easy to wait until you hit a certain sales goal or income level in order to enact certain systems, but it’s better if you start off on a stronger foundation.

These are the four things I would recommend starting EARLY in your business. If you aren’t early in your business, that’s ok too. It’s never too late to improve your systems.

Too cheesy?

Maybe.

Let’s get into it.

#1: A custom domain email. Changing emails is a headache. Avoid it by starting with a professional paid email right away.

#2: Tracking your business expenses, invoices, and tax payments. I prefer QB Self-Employed. It’s another system you can scale your biz. with and avoid a longer process every tax season. Honestly, because of QB Self-Employed, I don’t dread tax season at all.

#3. A contract. Your first client may be a friend, colleague, or family member. It doesn’t matter. Set your professional boundaries and expectations early and uphold them. Communicate your payment details and expectations in writing. You can not overcommunicate this information. Follow up a meeting where you agreed on pricing and timing with a written email and ask for their response to confirm they received it.

Side note: At this point in my writing, I have decided to follow @systemssavedme and see what she’s all about.

#4. A system for testimonials. Capture as many as you can as soon after you work with someone as possible. It’s better to ask 2 weeks after you finish a project than 2 years. You will need testimonials. Written. Social proof. Start collecting it early. LinkedIn recommendations work great while you sort out your website or other social media channels. Ask for honest feedback. You need to hear it in order to improve and scale. That’s your goal, right?

What would you add to this list?

Thanks for reading.

-A