MANAGEMENT • 13 MIN READ

How to Use Business Systems To Scale to 7 & 8 Figures

Are You Stuck Working “IN” Your Business?

So you’re ready to scale, huh?

You want to get out of the day-to-day operations and get the freedom, wealth, and predictable growth that you know is possible.

Well then, you better get well acquainted with your new friend:

Business Systems.

Business systems are the glue that holds your business machine together. They’re the secret to scaling and the greatest form of leverage in your business.

You’ll have more repeatability, consistency, and scalability if you have effective systems for each part of your business.

Most importantly, it will give you a mechanism to delegate to someone else and free you up from the day-to-day in your business.

Create enough systems, and soon enough, your business won’t require your constant input…

…and your team will be set up to thrive.

What is a business system?

You know how important they are, and you plan to create them. Yet another month has passed, and you’re still where you were. WHY? Maybe it’s because you don’t know where to start, or perhaps you don’t know what a business system actually is.

If so, you’re not alone. It blows my mind how many talented and successful entrepreneurs I speak to don’t understand how systems work (let alone which ones to use and where to start).

We built our entire business model around systems. It’s one of the best levers we help our clients use, so they scale from 6 to 7 figures — and then from 7 to 8 — quickly and effectively.

Without the proper business systems, you CANNOT scale to the next level. It’s that simple.

So first off, this is how we define a system:

A Business System is a repeatable, streamlined process that allows you (or anyone else on your team) to perform a task quickly, seamlessly and consistently.

Systems are the building blocks for your business. When you do the work (or micromanage your team), you can survive without them. But if you want to scale your business, it creates a massive issue if your entire business lives in your head.

Without effective systems, you:

Cannot delegate to others and build a world-class team.
Cannot expect consistent results across clients.
Cannot live a productive, efficient life (you or your team).
Cannot build a profitable, fast-scaling business.

You can systemize anything (and I mean anything).

No matter how creative, technical or complex the task may be, you can create a business system that ensures the same positive result each time. And that’s regardless of who on your team performs it.

Why is a business system important?

Your primary goal as a business owner is to get much more out of what you have (i.e. time, energy, and money).

So, you want to do less of the work yourself and delegate as much as possible to others via other sources of automation. This is how you can free up time to work “on” your business, and it’s the only way to correctly strategize and ensure you push towards your vision.

It’s business systems that empower you and your team to achieve this.

They are a massive form of leverage (possibly the most significant in your business) because they help you get more done in less time.

Beyond this, they also make sure that everything happens as it should!

One of the biggest hurdles for entrepreneurs is the fear that other people cannot do the work as well as you can.

A solid business system locks in consistency, ensuring whoever does the work does it the “right” way.

But the benefits of a business system go much deeper than this.

It’s a long, transformational list:

A Business System creates autonomy: often, this involves a tool or piece of software doing part (or all) of the work. But even if it’s a manual system, it creates an element of autonomy that ensures you achieve the same consistent results each time.
A Business System addresses a specific problem or issue: it takes something with a lot of moving pieces and simplifies it. So you make fewer mistakes, create fewer issues and waste less time/money.
A Business System saves you a LOT of time in the future: once created, a system does not require intensive thought or effort (from you or anyone else on your team). In other words, it continues to give — long after you create it.
A Business System empowers delegation. As soon as you have a proven system in place, you can delegate and outsource almost anything with the confidence it will get done the “right” way.
A Business System empowers your team. With the right systems in place, your team has the confidence to take more and more off your plate. They help build a proactive team that uses their initiative instead of a reactive one that waits for you to decide their every move.
A Business System lowers cost, energy and input: if you work from a proven system, you spend less time on the task. There are fewer issues and mistakes, which saves money and time. It helps you see where the bottlenecks are, which again… saves you money and time!

What does an effective system look like?

A business system can come in several formats, and there is no right or wrong type for your business.

In time, you’ll likely implement all these into your operations…

Some systems are simple and use just one process.

Others are complex and involve lots of layers and processes combined together.

The key is to always keep things as simple as you can. The point isn’t to create an overly complicated system but to show how something works step-by-step.

With this in mind, here are the most common business systems we use at 2X to create exceptional results

(these are the key to us helping clients generate over $255 Million in revenue while in our program)

Here are the different types of business systems:

Checklists

These are one the simplest forms of a business system, as they create a list of necessary steps.

The person doing the task simply works through it, “checking” each step as they complete them.

Here’s an example of one of the checklists we use at 2X:

Templates

This is another simple type of system that saves a lot of time and stress.

Templates can come in many forms:

Email template
Sales script template
A sales proposal

Templates are effective because they ensure 80-98% of the task is already done, meaning the person managing the process only has to complete the final touches. It removes a lot of mistakes and human error, as well as saves a lot of time and energy.

In short, it allows you to easily do the same thing over and over without reinventing the wheel (please stop recreating the wheel!.

Here’s an example of one of the templates we use at 2X:

Automation

We live in an age where you can use tech to automate (at least part of) almost any process.

Using the right tools, tech and software, you minimize the manual steps you need to take.

This is a massive form of leverage because it saves you and your team A LOT of time… and reduces the number of mistakes and errors humans are prone to making.

An excellent example of this is that once a new client joins one of our 2X Programs, we use a Zapier automation to get them:

Set up the accounts they need
Sent the necessary onboarding docs
Access to our training material and videos

We still reach out to them manually, but we know certain (important) information is sent to them automatically as soon as they make payment.

This saves us time, reduces errors and gives our customers the best possible service.

Automation is a huge form of leverage; you can use it for email, lead generation and almost any other part of your business.

Video Process

A video process is an ideal system type, as it allows you to SHOW the other person what they need to do. This is especially useful if a task has many moving pieces or layers.

Writing it all down, step by step, may overcomplicate things.
A video “showing” them what they need to do simplifies it.

Here’s an example of one of the video processes we use at 2X:

These are the most common types of business systems, and in time you’ll likely use all of them. They save you time and empower your team to take control and master their tasks.

You’ll add more and more systems as you scale and grow, with more layers and departments…

But all this leads to the question… where should you begin?

What are the most critical business systems you need in your business right now?

7 Business Systems To Start With

As I said, everything in your business is a system. I know that can feel kinda overwhelming. But if you don’t get to grips with this… you’ll stay on the ‘hamster wheel’ and WILL NOT scale to multiple millions.

So let’s break it down into the systems you should focus on first.

1. Hiring System

People are an essential form of leverage in your business if you want to scale without being overwhelmed.

You can only do so much yourself, so if you want to scale and grow predictably and profitably, you need to build a world-class team.

The problem is most people go about this all wrong.

They think they’re a good judge of character and often hire based on their gut.

(or hire those they know or the first people who apply)

Because of this, they often hire the wrong people, waste time and throw away money.

It becomes a massive headache!

It’s a big issue and one of the most significant factors that stop people from scaling to multiple millions.

But the problem isn’t always because of the people you hire, but rather how YOU do the hiring.

You don’t have a system in place, so you have nothing to compare to. Your recruits go through different hiring processes, so it’s hard to know if someone is a good fit for your culture until they’ve been part of it for a few months.

But by this time, it’s too late.

You’ve hired the wrong person and wasted time and a lot of money.

Worse still… you now need to go through the whole process once more!

This is why one of the first business systems you need is for hiring.

A hiring system vets people and helps make sure you hire the right people, to begin with. Every person goes through the same steps, allowing you to measure whether they are a good fit for your culture.

But it also helps you measure and track their success during this trial period, so you can tweak their role and ensure you’re getting the best out of them.

This is how you build a world-class team. And also how you hire (and keep) A-Players!

2. Numbers/Data Systems

One of the biggest differences between successful business owners and those still hustling to get there is that successful people KNOW THEIR NUMBERS!

Data gives you clarity and power. This allows you to make easier and faster decisions.

Without the numbers in front of you, you make blind decisions.

The problem is you don’t have the time to always think about the numbers, dive into them and review them. So even though you know that having control over your numbers is essential, another month passes, and you still don’t know them.

Creating a system solves this!

You can automatically collect and track the KPIs you need, populate a dashboard and have it show you the health of your business in an instant. It all just happens. No human error.

No more YOU being the bottleneck.

No more decisions based on what you “think” is correct.

3. Planning Systems

It’s one thing to have a plan but another to follow through.

This is one of the biggest traps that keep entrepreneurs stuck.

They know they need to have regular planning/strategy sessions…
They know they need to take time each week to review and reflect…
They know they need to take a step back and look at the business as a whole…

But you get so caught up in the day-to-day that you never do it — or do it once but then forget about it.

I get this because I’ve been there personally; I was also stuck on that hamster wheel.

So like anything else, you need to build a system around the essential planning YOU need to do.

ether you do this on your own or with your core team depends on your business and what stage you’re at. But the point is EVERY single business owner needs to set time aside for these.

You need a system, so all this happens (so you don’t forget).
You need templates and dashboards (so you save time and get straight to the action points).

You need to remove the excuses and make it happen!

4. Employee Management + Review Systems

Building a world-class team isn’t just about hiring A-Players…

You need to set them up for success from day one.
You need to empower them to deliver now and in the future.
You need to give them a progression path so they stick around for the long term.
You need to bring them into your culture and encourage them to make it their own.
And you need to have continuous feedback loops to help make them even more successful.

A world-class team doesn’t just happen, and just because you pay a lot of money to hire the best of the best doesn’t mean they’ll deliver world-class results.

This is on you to create, and the only way you can is to have Employee Management + Review Systems.

Having a system in place like this not only sets them up for success but allows you to, too:

You can hire and fire them quickly if they don’t cut it.
If a gap or something is missing, you can fill it.
If there’s an opportunity to improve, you can do so instantly.

Having an Employee Management + Review System makes things crystal clear for you and them.

You know where you are, and you both know where you’re heading.
Expectations get laid out for everyone to see, saving everyone a lot of time and stress.

You empower them to succeed, meaning you can get the hell out of the way and let them get on with what they do best!

5. Financial Systems

It doesn’t matter what your vision for your business and life is; money NEEDS to be part of it!

We all want:

Freedom (the freedom to live life on our terms)
Time (the time to live life and spend it with those we love)
Impact (to leave a mark and impact those we serve — family, customers, team)
Wealth (not just your business, but your Personal Wealth)

Money is key to getting all these, but most entrepreneurs focus on the wrong things at the wrong time, making it harder and harder to get any of these the more and more you scale.

Setting up financial systems solves this problem because it becomes less about making money and generating wealth — this is what you really need, personally and professionally.

Everyone needs suitable financial systems in place, both for their business and their personal wealth.

You NEED to review these regularly and base your decisions and goals on the data it gives you. Because although money is a massive form of leverage… it only is if you’re on top of it.

If not, it can be a key factor that keeps you stuck inside that hamster wheel.

6. Onboarding & Fulfillment Systems

One of the main reasons why we’ve scaled so quickly at 2X is because we’ve placed so much focus on creating raving fans.

Not followers.
Not customers.
Not leads.

All we care about is having an army of raving fans because once you have this, you can grow quickly and effectively (whatever your business). We help our clients do the same because we know the only way to win in this game (long term) is to have raving fans.

Specifically, setting up the proper Onboarding and Fulfillment Systems that ensure your customers experience BIG wins early — and an A-Class service long into the future.

In their book, ‘The Power of Moments’, Dan and Chip Heath talk about creating memorable and magical moments at specific points in your customer journey.

And one of the most critical periods is the first 10-30 days.

What powerful moments can you make for them in their first 10 days with you?
How can you promise them a BIG win inside these first 10 days?

If you give them this, you guarantee their loyalty because most businesses take shortcuts and focus on the sale. Everything after that is an afterthought, so the fact you make it a core focus sets you apart.

But to ensure every one of your customers get this — not just in the first 10 days, but throughout their customer journey — you need to create processes so nobody slips through the cracks; and everyone experiences the same epic service.

So, I want you to think: What can you repeatedly do for new clients that will make them have an unforgettable first impression? How can you wow them right from the start and create a raving fan without sabotaging your profit margins?

7. Marketing Systems

This is one of the biggest reasons why entrepreneurs get caught in (and stay stuck inside) the hustle hamster wheel.

They go “all in” with their marketing and create a fantastic launch that makes sales spike.
Life is good, and they have enough money to survive for a while.
So they go “all in” on their product, ensuring they give their new customers excellent service.
But then their program/course/whatever ends, so they have to create a bigger and better launch.

They’re thinking of short-term tactics and week-to-week instead of in the form of ongoing Systems.

Seeing so many 6 & 7-figure entrepreneurs caught in this marketing/fulfillment famine kills me.

They are so busy working inside their business that they never have the time to work “on” it. They’re always either marketing hard on their biggest launch yet, or burning the midnight oil to give their customers what they promised.

The only way to escape it is to create a system that generates consistent, ongoing leads so there are no longer those peaks and valleys.

You can predictably know at any given time how many leads you will get each day, week and month.

No more feast or famine, and no more spending all your time ‘doing’ the work. You can finally step back and work “on” the business, which happens once you set up a few marketing systems.

Conclusion

By now, you should have a good idea of why we say that systems are the secret!

The sooner you start, the better. You won’t implement all these at once, but as you do one-by-one you will quickly notice the impact it has on you, your business and those around you (family and team).

We see it all the time at 2X. Clients come forward with problems they’ve had sometimes for years, but once we unpack them and focus on the systems they need right now… the problems disappear.

In fact, not only do the problems vanish, they’re replaced with massive opportunities!

So if you would like help figuring out which of these seven business systems you need to focus on first, then let’s chat.

We’ll work with you to identify which business system will have the biggest impact, so you can get on with scaling your business to multiple millions.

Looking For Help To Grow Predictably and Profitably?

We all need a helping hand in this lonely world of business. Gee, even Zuckerberg leaned on Steve Jobs for guidance.

And if you’re like most business owners, you’re either stuck and don’t know what to do next… or you’re just working on the wrong things.

Either way, we can show you how to claim back ownership of your business, by working on the things that will actually move the needle for you.

So if you’re looking for guidance to get on track and achieve everything you want from your business, we’ve got your back.

We’ve coached and mentored 100s of business owners just like you. So there isn’t a problem our team of world-class coaches can’t help you overcome with personal one-on-one guidance and the support of our proven growth methodology.