5 Steps to Create Your First Foundational Business System

The Fast and Slow of It

We live in a world that is all about fast. We want food fast, service fast, and all of our shipping right to our doors fast.

And once we have the instant gratification of those items in our hands, we feel good about our decisions and choices.

But have you ever thought about how we get all those things so fast?

That, my dear, is through the wonders of systems. 

And I hate to break it to you, but those systems were not set up super quick to deliver fast results. 

No, instead each business had to slow down, fine tune, and get real clear about how their processes were working. They set things up, adapted, and then allowed the system to work in maintenance mode until another change was needed.

And that is what you need to do too. Dedicate some time to creating foundational systems so that you too can deliver your products and services in less time, with less energy expended, and for a higher profit.

Systems are the goal when trying to scale your business, because you won't be able to sustain things long term without them.

So in this article, I've dedicated some time to tell you how to get started and included a bonus at the end for your next steps.

Step 1 - Create the Path

First define an overall structure that you would like to start with. I try to begin with foundational items like how I organize my files or how I create my long form content. These two are always going to be a part of my business and they are the first steps before any other things happen.

As such, you want to make sure those systems are set up first before you add on more things. Start small. Rein in those big plans, this is not an all or nothing game, it is a progression over time. 

Once you decide on the system that you want to build, you can then break it down even farther into the individual tasks that go into that particular system.

For instance, if I know that I want to focus on Long Form Content (mine are blog articles, yours might be podcasting or YouTube or something else), then I need to know all the steps that result in my monthly blogs being written and published weekly

Below are my tasks for creating a weekly article like this one:

Long Form Content Tasks

• Monthly Theme
• Article Schedule
• Planning
• Marketing Schedule for Promotion
• SEO Keyword Search
• Outline
• Draft
• Revision
• Adding Links
• Creating SEO titles and Headers
• Creating URLS
• Adding SEO Descriptions
• Uploading to Website
• Setting Publishing Dates
• Adding Photos
• Formatting
• Creating Thumbnails in Canva
• Uploading Thumbnails
• Add URLS to Blog Posting Schedule for SMM
• Final Review

Of course there is drafting and revising, but when you really look at it, there are a lot more small things going on. No wonder it’s hard to get started and stay consistent.

But, there is a way forward. You can start by making the first step easy and accessible (think about what we learned about Habits here). Making the entire system may come later; but for right now, the focus is on the first action.

Step 2 - Organization

By creating the list of tasks, you have already created a guideline for your system. This is going to be your pathway. Having it written out makes it easier to follow, now you just need to get things ready to follow that path more efficiently.

Next up, we should look at the different places inside our list that we can streamline.

• Where can we add templates?
• Where are we able to organize our files more so that we can find things more quickly?
• Where can we add in automations?
• Where can we delegate? What do you have to do from that list versus others?
• What platforms can we use to house all the different parts in one place?

Think about these questions before you dive into any of them. 

The key here is to identify what types of things you want to use and then organize them in a way that they all overlap together.

Now that sounds heavy, but we can break it down if we slow things down. Remember that this is not the time to rush through things. Really take a minute to understand how each item works with the next and in what way you need them to move. 

Step 3 - Implementation

The implementation stage is where you have gathered all of the information and now you put it into the platforms, organize files, create templates, and set up automations. Then, you can hand off your system to someone else once its ready.

This step will be the most tedious as you are going to have to input a lot of data from various places. My best advice is to take things one step at a time. 

Have one goal, finish it, and then move to the next area. Put on your favorite music, make it a game, body double, or even hire someone to organize it all for you. Do whatever you’ve got to do to get things done.

Step 4 - Maintenance

Maintenance can happen at whatever interval you find fits your needs best. Your systems will be unique to you and your business (and anyone who says otherwise is just trying to cut corners). 

Determine if you need a check-in daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annually. You may also want different types of check-ins at different intervals.

For instance, I go into my systems on the first of the month to make sure everything has stayed organized and move whatever I need back into its appropriate space. 

But quarterly, I look at the overall systems themselves and update the pathways. If something is still lagging or taking too much time, I see how I can make it more efficient.

Then, at the end of the year, I update everything for the year ahead.

Bonus Support

If we slow down when creating our systems it means that we can move really fast when using them. But we have to dedicate that initial time to really solidify what we need for our unique businesses.

As such, I want to offer you a little bonus support where you can have an accountability buddy (me) that can help you design a unique system that works exactly for you and your biz. 

Check out the Signature System Set Up to grab your spot for my DFY service schedule or dive into the Systems and Templates Masterclass for a more DIY route! No matter which way you want to go, I've got you!