Why Your Business Needs Systems (And How to Build Them)

Do you often feel like you’re the glue holding your business together? Like if you stepped away for even a day, the whole thing would wobble (or worse, collapse in a heap)?

?Guess what! You’re not alone.

?So many business owners get caught in the trap of doing everything themselves. It feels easier at the time, right? But long term, it’s exhausting—and completely unsustainable. If your business needs you for every little thing, then it’s not really a business, it’s a job. And worse, it’s a job you can’t quit.

The solution? Simple, logical, and repeatable systems.

What Are Systems (And Why Should You Care)?

A system is just a fancy way of saying “This is Our Way of doing things.”

But of course you have to make Our Way simple, logical and repeatable, captured in clear, step-by-step guides that makes sure every task gets done efficiently and consistently—without you having to micromanage every detail.

From handling customer enquiries to sending invoices, systems stop you from reinventing the wheel every time. Instead of relying on memory, guesswork, or scrolling through old emails, you (and your team) follow a tried-and-tested, straightforward way to do everything in your business.

And the best bit? Systems reduce mistakes, save time, and create consistency—all crucial if you want to grow without burning out.

How McDonald’s Got It Right (And What You Can Steal From Them)

I know, I know—I always bang on about McDonald’s. But hear me out.

McDonald’s isn’t a global success because of its gourmet burgers (let’s be honest, nobody’s going there for fine dining). It’s successful because of its rock-solid systems.

Every burger, in every branch, in every country, follows the same steps. There’s no confusion, no variation. A new team member can be trained in record time, and customers know exactly what to expect, whether they’re in Manchester or Madrid.

The takeaway? Consistency builds trust. Trust builds businesses. And that consistency comes from… you’re there before me…systems.

Four Simple Steps to Systemise Your Business

Want to introduce a bit of McDonald’s-style magic to your own business? It’s not as complicated as you might think.

1. Spot the repeat tasks

Think about the tasks that you or your team do over and over again—customer onboarding, invoicing, responding to FAQs. These are the ones that need a system.

2. Capture Our Way of doing the task

Get the team member who performs the task to your standard (following Our Way) to record the steps on Loom (as very simple task recording software) in a way that’s easy to follow. No need for a hefty manual—a simple How To video is the best way to ensure that the answer to the question, “If I was on holiday, could someone follow this and get it right?” ?is yes!

3. Train your team & give them feedback

This is where Sticky Systems come in - consistent training and effective feedback ensure that the systems you’ve created ALWAYS stick. Train your team members 1:1, answer their questions, and make sure they’re following your system properly. Train them, and then give them feedback - praise them when the system is followed - give them constructive, corrective feedback when it isn’t, because a system only works if people actually follow it.

4. Review and refine

Systems aren’t a “done once and they’re done thing” thing. Things change, logic changes, and as your business evolves, so should your systems. Ask your team for feedback—if something feels clunky, fix it. The smoother your systems, the easier your life.

The Real Payoff: Freedom

This is the bit no one tells you about: systems give you freedom.

When your operation runs smoothly without you, you finally get to focus on the big stuff—scaling, innovating, or (shock horror) actually taking a holiday.

A business that runs with you is great. A business that can run without you? That’s gold!

Start Small, Win Big

You don’t need to systemise your whole business overnight. Just pick one task that eats up your time every week. Capture it, train someone you trust, and see the difference.

That little shift? That’s breathing room. That’s momentum. That’s your business working for you—not the other way around.

?

So—what’s the first system you need to put in place?

Hiring?

Customer Service?