Q: How big should my business be before I put systems in place?
A: No matter what size your business is, if you are about being with people, including your family, team, and customers, your business needs systems to keep it on track — to organize it, to keep cash flow on target, to communicate with your team, customers, and potential customers, and to price your product consistently.
Systems should be in place before any business opens its doors. Without the organization that systems provide, you'll find yourself giving up time for relationships, fun, and those things that really mean something, just to keep your business going.
The key is to remember that systems don't have to be complex; you just have to commit to them. Your commitment to the systems you put in place will create the room for life balance and your own sanity, even in the midst of leading a growing business.
You can achieve anything you want. In order to do so, you need systems that you can depend on to hold you accountable for keeping your word — doing what you say you are going to do — in all domains of your life. So create your plan for putting systems to work for you, be 100% committed to using them, and watch how not only your business, but your family time, fun, and finances, take off. It is that easy. —Clay Nelson is a business coach to contractors nationwide, www.cjenterprises.com.