9 Reasons Why You Need A Business System

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If you want to build your business, it is essential that you have systems and processes in place as they serve as the building blocks for your business and without them you cannot grow your business. Here are the 9 reasons why you need business, systems:

1. Consistency – With a business system you can repetitively produce the same products and services with no variation. Systems can be implemented for sales, marketing, operations, training, etc. This allows you to monitor your business so that you can make changes to improve it.

2. Change – Because change in any business is inevitable by having systems in place and knowing how your process works you can modify it quickly to suit the required changes. Also, with systems in place you will be able to review it and apply continuous improvement which will improve your business overall.

3. Training – A system will allow proper training to take place which in turn will increase productivity and effectiveness. Procedures will be in place which allows employees to have consistent, high-quality performance on relevant tasks.

4. Focus – When deadlines or new projects are required, business systems will allow the activities to be performed on autopilot as everyone will know the processes and procedures that are required.

5. Customer Expectations – Systems will allow you to measure and analyse customer satisfaction, this will give you information on how to improve your products or services that will give you the competitive advantage in your market.

6. Reduce Costs – The business system is the only way of providing quality assurance as you don’t have to repeat activities several times due to defects. Systems will also allow you to remove waste from your business.

7. Profitability – Because systems are in place your business will be efficient and effective and you will have reduced costs by removing waste from your business. Customer satisfaction will have increased and you will have improved your on-time delivery therefore you will increase your profitability.

8. Value of your business – By having systems in place your business instantly becomes more valuable to an investor, this is because the investor knows that your business will run smoothly, and quality is assured. This will also help you to sell your business and command a higher price.

9. Strategy – By having business systems in place you will be able to step back and work on your business instead of in your business, therefore you will have the time to become more strategic and be ahead of the competition.

 

Exit Strategy – Selling your Business

When starting a business always look at what your end game is and keep this in mind. You may decide that you want to build a legacy, therefore, you will be passing it on to your heirs. But you should still look at setting up the business with a mind to selling it, as you may find that you could make more money by selling and so you can give more money to your heirs, or you may find that your possible heirs may not want the business as they have no interest in it or they are not capable of running it.

Your business must be able to run without you, if your business cannot run without you then it will die with you, therefore before you even think about selling or passing on your business make sure that you have processes, systems, manuals and procedures in place. This must be your number one priority above anything else, if you do not know how to set these up get help, as it is worth paying someone to put these in place for you, remember this adds value to your business so don’t cut corners or skimp on the price for the consultancy, so think of it as a short-term loss for a long-term gain.

When selling your business, it is critical that you understand the processes involved. After all, unlike other business decisions, this will only be made once!

So here are a few questions that might help you in the process.

Why are you selling? Are you selling because the business has reached its full potential, or do you want to get out because you have had enough? It’s important to have a reason for the sale as you will get asked this question from all potential purchasers.

Is your property on a lease? If a buyer is looking at your business, your buyer will want to see a long-term lease in place. Negotiate with your landlord an extension to your lease and make sure that you have a clause in there which allows you to transfer the lease to the new buyer.

When did you last value your assets? This is especially important when it comes to property as prices are constantly changing and you might get a very pleasant surprise.

Do you want to sell just the goodwill and still own the property? Often when selling a business, it is possible to keep the property and lease it to the new buyer. If you do not need the full proceeds it is often wise not to sell the property as long term it will be an appreciating asset. Make sure though that you get a full repair and renewal lease put in place with the buyer.

Are you the one hundred percent owner? If not, what do the other shareholders think about you leaving? One of the easiest ways to get out is to sell your stake to the other shareholders.

Do you want to protect some workers in your business once the sale has gone through? You might have members of the family or close friends who work in the business and they might need some security after you have left. One way to do this is to provide them with decent employment contracts prior to the sale.

Is the timing, right? The best time to sell the business is just after you have had a good year of trading. Even economists disagree about what the future may bring so try not to predict how the trading environment will change but get out when profits are high.

Prime the business for sale. Just as a house will achieve more with a lick of paint and the garden in top condition so a business will need as many loose ends tied up as possible so that it is easier for a new buyer to walk in. Get rid of all the dead stock and dispose of all old and useless machinery and equipment.

Tidy the place up. Make it look as attractive as possible and make sure all the light switches and bulbs work. Make sure the place is as bright as possible by using higher power bulbs than normal.

Get professional help. If you have a small business all you need are the services of a good accountant and solicitor. If the business is more complicated a decent business broker might be required to get the maximum price for your business.

The easier you make it for the buyer to move in and start running the business from day one the higher the price you will achieve for the sale.