You say you don’t have enough time to get everything done, but I bet after listening to today’s episode you will learn that it’s a lot less about the time you have, and a lot more about how organized you are. I am giving you the top 4 systems that I use day in and day out to manage my work-from-home business. No matter how new you are to your business, from side hustle to managing a small team, these systems will work for you!
Listen below for the entire episode on The Systemize Your Life Podcast
When I first started trying to be successful in my home and business, I wasn’t working in the home. What I was doing didn’t really require a system. I was interpreting at the time as an independent contractor and there just wasn’t a need to systemize much of the work that I was doing. Everything was already set up for me and it was just a matter of hitting a “submit” button at the end of my workday. I honestly had no idea that the world of working from home puts everything on your shoulders.
The 4 Top Systems
Every single day there is so much that needs to be accomplished and organized! There is such a dire need for systems in your business as a work-from-home mom. Systemizing your business doesn’t come with a manual showing the right or wrong way. I want you to think about a few things before I give you my top 4 systems. First, think about where you are in your business and what you think needs a system before everything else.
I know this can feel overwhelming in the beginning. There are things happening everywhere in your home; sticky notes, emails, to-do lists, content that needs to be done but hasn’t happened yet, and the list can go on and on. But even with all of this happening around you, you have to be the one who slows the process down. The only way to speed up what you’re currently doing is to slow down in the chaos that is currently taking place.
If you’re not seeing the growth that you really want in your business or don’t have the time to invest in your business or yourself, this means you need systems in place. We have systems for everything under the sun to include, including your finances, home, clothes, decluttering, cleaning, your children, your time, and of course, your business! Now it’s time to discuss why systems are so important.
“If you don’t have systems in place, your time is not going to be used in the best ways that it should or could be.”
As a mom, you have a lot on your plate. The constant responsibilities of being there for your husband, your kids, your house, your business, your friends, and yourself, it’s a never-ending job. If you don’t have systems in place, your time is not being used in the best way possible.
Maybe you have tried removing yourself from everything else in your life, just so you can focus on your business. But, is not a good feeling! I have been there and I have felt that. This is why you need systems – it will never let you down! They will work every single time. Another important point I want to touch on is, if you are not using your time wisely, you are missing out on the very thing you were called to do at this exact moment in your life. If you aren’t able to really do and enjoy the things that you are wanting to do, you have to apply these systems to your life ASAP.
1. Workflow
This is the system of all systems. I went through two courses that showed me how to make a podcast and blog. Once I learned all these things I wasn’t sure how I was going to show up for all of it. There was Instagram, Facebook, emails, and all the other things, and I just felt like I couldn’t get it all done. In reality, I only had a handful of things to accomplish. But, it felt like a thousand because I didn’t know how to manage them all.
If this is all new to you, you can learn everything in the academy here on the website. I teach in tier 2 how to create a workflow. Within the workflow, you learn the concept of batching, which is very similar to time blocking. In order to become efficient in something and make a system, you will need to group items with other like items so your brain doesn’t become overwhelmed with all the different things that need to be accomplished. If you were to look at my workflow, you will see we don’t have a checklist. I only have a workflow. I need to be able to see how my work will flow for the week and month. By doing this, you only have to focus on the major things.
Spreadsheets
A spreadsheet can work, but there are so many different softwares available for use. I enjoy meistertask.com. It’s free up to four workflows. It’s clean and super simple, very user-friendly. When you first open the app, you will see your to-do column, in-progress column, and done column. These are the first major feeds for your workflow that allows you to see what needs to be accomplished. I can sit down on the weekend and reset my workflow and what needs to be accomplished come the new week. Come Monday I know that I will have four hours of work to complete and that is it. It took a ton of practice in the beginning and will always be a work in progress, but the beauty in all of this is that I know I won’t be taking away from my family or worrying about all the things that need to be accomplished when I’m not in my work block. It really does make a huge difference in our lives to have these workflows set.
2. Content Calendar
We have a few options when deciding what to use for this. This will be a schedule that will help organize what content you need to produce. In the beginning, I started with the Horacio planner. I loved it and still do, but I needed to change it to something that I could share with my team and my clients. When I was still using the paper planner I would always create a legend that was color-coded for all of my content. I would write my topics out and that had always been very successful.
As time went on I then graduated to have my content inside of my workflow. When I first started I had one card that showed me what I had to do Monday thru Friday and what needed to be posted and what I needed to work on. Some spreadsheets have content calendars, but I would suggest skipping that option. It feels messy and often hard to grow.
Once I had more than just one random Instagram post, and I had an official Facebook group, and more content, I created a full content calendar. Now I have a workflow suite. This includes everything for my weekly tasks, content calendar, and a few other things. When I open it up, I can see everything for the entire month!
It won’t happen overnight, but it will build over time. If you are already pumping out tons of content and don’t yet have a content calendar, you need to get one. Again, the paper planners are going to be a great start for you in the beginning. Looking on Pinterest is a great start for content calendars or click here and sign up for the academy and we give you all that in tier two. Again, this is a great way to see what you need to do and accomplish for the month.
If you are wondering about scheduling your content there are tons of options available and some even will have an option for both the scheduling calendar and content calendar. Most importantly, find something that works for you! I can share what I have created with you and teach you how to use it, or you can create something on your own that you truly enjoy instead.
3. Data Tracking
This is a real system! You have to be able to track data for your business. This system is truly going to help you not misuse your time! I am passionate about this system. You can’t just show up to your business and not have a plan on what to do and expect it to work. Showing up unprepared is no longer an option! Not being prepared is just a waste of time. When I take time away from my family so I can work on my business, it better not be in vain. That time has to be worth the time I am missing out on when I’m not with my family. It needs to count!
Based on your numbers, when you sit down to work, is the work you are doing truly impacting people? Are you earning income? Are you moving the needle forward? If not, what changes need to be implemented to make these things happen? If you are moving forward and everything is flowing, you can celebrate in that moment! Every time you show up for work, it should matter! I have a spreadsheet for all of my metrics. I have a card that I have created in my workflow that’s labeled, “End of Week Reset” and I use this to track my data, weekly. This helps me see what needs to be adjusted or what can stay the same.
Some of the things you should be tracking:
-What is making an impact and what isn’t?
-Are you showing up for good reason inside your groups, and how often? If so, is it making a difference? Is it worth your time?
-What needs to be adjusted?
-What is worth your resources?
4. Money Management System
This is my favorite system! If you ever plan on making money in your business you need to know this system and you really should read this book. I used the book called Profit First by Mike Michalowicz. Anytime money comes in, I know where every single penny and dime is being allocated. I’ve determined exactly what I’m putting aside for savings, how much I’m paying my family, and how much I’m allowed to spend on my business, all these things are known without even thinking about it. This is something I chose to do this every week because it helped me learn the system and it became routine for me.
Even if you don’t have money coming in right now, this is a must-read! Whatever money management systems you think you know are working, you should absolutely switch to something that you KNOW will work and has been proven to work and make your business financially profitable. I don’t want to waste my time or anyone else’s if it wasn’t going to be profitable. This book literally changed my life and has even changed how we manage our personal finances in our home.
Closing Thoughts
Before we close, I would love to have you pop on over to our Facebook group so we can do some homework. For this episode, let’s have some accountability take place. We want to know which system you want to put into place ASAP for your business. I want to chat with you and see how we can help either start a system or improve an already existing system. Use the accountability thread within the group and chime in! I’m so excited to see you over in the Facebook group! Until next time, you can always catch more right here on the blog!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to use a paper planner?
Bottom line – no! You need to do what is right for you. However, before you throw in the towel, I would suggest trying a different planner or maybe even using the same planner, but a different format. My personal favourite is the Horacio planner. Horacio printing provides the opportunity to pick your preference with formatting, print your own copies and provides multiple styles!
