By CHINKEE TAN
MANY people come to me and ask me how to start their own business.
Starting a business requires a whole lot of rearranging pieces, some are a bit exciting than the others. There’s looking for a location, conceptualizing ideas, and conceptualizing.
All these sound exciting to me, then there’s brainstorming for the business, filing certificates, and tax-related processes, which are the not so fun part.
Imagine doing all these things without processes and systems to help and guide you? It would definitely be a mess and at times, it can also be a waste of time.
Having said this, it is very important to learn certain processes and systems directly involving your business if you want your start-up to be smoother.
Apart from the obvious fact that learning processes and systems helps you and your business set things in a more organized manner, here are four ways learning processes and systems help startup businesses:
- MACRO – It allows you see the bigger picture.
You thought starting up your business is simply putting your ideas into actions until you find yourself overwhelmed in the process! When we start to orient ourselves with the nature of our chosen business as well as the processes and systems involved, we’ll realize that it so much more!
Take for instance a restaurant business. Without fully understanding the processes and systems, people simply think of it as serving good food to the customers. But those who are actually learning the ins and outs (yes all the processes and systems involved) of the business know that it is more than just serving good food.
There’s the procurement of the raw materials from the actual ingredients to the store set-up materials, the human resource department that involves filtering people who can work in and for the business, there are so many corners that you need to take a good look. There is the bigger picture.
When you take time to learn, understand, and apply, you will ultimately see the bigger picture, allowing them to pay much attention to whatever it is that requires it.
- DIRECTION– It leads you to where you need to go (next).
Start-ups can be tricky. You get so pumped up with the idea of putting up something new until you find yourself lost somewhere in between what to do next and which one needs immediate action first. Learning the processes and systems to your start-up will address this issue.
Because a system is in itself is an organized scheme and method, then you’ll definitely deal with organizing your priorities. A successful start-up starts with being able to identify the priorities and getting them done one step at a time. Doing things randomly will only mess up your priorities and not to mention waste a lot of your time.
- FOCUS – It helps you set your focus on the important stuff.
When you’ve identified which tasks need immediate action and which ones can buy more time, you will be able to give proper attention and focus on the much more important stuff, making you more efficient.
Identifying your priorities during the start-up phase of your business is challenging because you feel that everything is important and everything needs to be done. While this is a fact, it also very true that you can never do everything all together – this is where systems and processes come in – they help you set your focus on the more important things.
- REAFFIRMS – It validates your vision and goals.
Learning the systems and processes of your start-up business also validates your goals and visions. Now you see the bigger picture, you know where to go and what to do next, you know which things to prioritize, you likewise see whether everything is in line with your goals and vision as you continue to move the pieces.
Some entrepreneurs realize that the business isn’t for them after they’ve learned about the processes and systems. So whether it’s the same case for you or otherwise, you’ll find out by learning the systems and processes of your business.
Are you already in a business or planning to set up a business? Do you want guidance and direction on how to start up or continue to grow your business?
Good news! I will hold a coaching and mentoring workshop called “Business in a Box” on Nov. 22 and 29 from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. via Facebook Live. To know more, please visit chinkeetan.com/businessinabox.
“The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is asking people who had been there and done that.”
