Are you suffering from Systems Overload?

Mintzberg wasn’t kidding when he said that business owners have 10 pairs of shoes to fill (well 10 different managerial roles, but shoes work just as well)!

You’re blessed to be living in the 21^st century where there’s an abundance of different software and tools to help you keep your administrative tasks streamlined.  But, slowly, you may see the costs of your monthly subscriptions creeping up and your tech tools overflowing. Suddenly system overload becomes a real thing. 

At what point just it becomes all too much?  What defines overload?

• Is it when creating workflows gives you a real headache because you can’t remember if you use this or that tool?

• Is it when your team message you at 10 pm because a client slipped through the cracks of the onboarding systems?

• Or is it when you miss deadlines and tasks because you have 5 different ways of jotting down your daily to-do list?

Despite being a self proclaim systems (tech and other!) nerd, I’m also a stickler for simple, streamlined and effective methods.

Here are my top tips for streamlining your biz from the inside and keeping your expenses low in the process. 

A tool that ticks all the boxes!

Invest in a tool that bundles up a multitude of other apps, is more integrated, has more advanced features, and ticks all of your biz boxes! High-performance, [cost-]efficient tools infrastructures such as G-Suite can do you wonders. Cloud-based business apps like these provide more uniformity and more clarity. Your emails, forms, online meetings, file storage, to-do list, calendar, and so.much.more – all in one, easy-access platform.

Equally a Project Management tool like ClickUp, allows you to use it’s integrated automation (still in beta phase!), have multiple views (great if your team interprets data and information differently!), and has features such as pages (essentially a word doc!) which is great for taking notes and storing them right there in your PM tool!

Less costs + all in one place = a double win!

Above all, a centralized and streamlined network of apps is critical in enabling you to tackle more robust daily operations – with less hassle! ClickUp also caters for this! You can use custom HTML embedding features (or just plain URL embed) to add in spreadsheets, calendars, and even Spotify playlists so that you can keep all of the systems you use daily with your team, in one single place!

Keep the best and cut the rest!

I know, using all these new tools are fun BUT admit it, when you start pilling them up, duplicating systems and overloading your processes, the extra systems can add to the confusion in your business. 

I recommend that my clients write a pro and con list for all of the systems and tools that they use in their business. Do you find that you have 4 or 5 different tools just to collect information from your clients in questionnaire form (think Dubsado, google forms, Kajabi Clickup Forms & type form!)? 

Right down the features that are non negotiable in your business (integrations, appearance, ease of use) and cut the tools that don’t fit the bill! 

Using the same example as above, I love using dubsado for questionnaires because they look great, I can integrate them into workflows AND I already use the tool in other areas of my business. In this case, I could cancel my subscription for typeform and stop using the other tools so that it’s nice and simple for everyone. 

No more “Which platform should I use to make XYZ” from your team!

Monthly VS Annual!

Making money and keeping money are two VERY different things. 

Take a good hard look at your expenses – what systems are you using, what subscriptions are you paying for on a monthly basis?

Do you have another subscription for pretty much the SAME tool (see point above!), but on an annual basis?

Well in that case, if you’re stuck between 2 very similar platforms you’ve got an easy choice in front of you (if they’re performing a duplication of roles that is and you’ve done your the pro and cons list already!). This can help you determine which of the tools you can cancel! Say goodbye to your monthly tool and keep the annual one! 

Cutting off that extra expenditure will add a little bit to your bottom line and it’ll make sure that the process of your completing tasks is kept to a bare few essential tools, in lieu of being split across 5 *almost* identical ones. 

Future Proof your systems!

What will actually support your goals next year and in the 5-10 years after that?

I know that new systems are being developed on a near-constant basis, however, that’s not to say that you can’t choose a tool that works for you now AND in the future. Think where you want your biz to be, your team, and goals to be, and choose according to that instead of what suits you right this moment.

Layout your long-term goals and drill deep into your daily operations. Be crystal clear with your KPI’s. Plot your tactics to address gaps and develop a hierarchical list of pain points that need attention- can a system help you address these? Is there a system that will help facilitate your now goals and help you accomplish your furture goals?

Those pain points are your priority. Consider your strategy in addressing them (while keeping your daily processes smooth) in choosing which system tools to invest in.

As an OBM & Consultant, I’ve had my [lion’s] share of systems overload. Now, I breeze through my daily ops with my streamlined tools! I learned the hard way, but I’ll make sure you don’t have to!

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