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✈️ May 12, 2025
🤯 This simple mindset shift will change your business (and possibly your life)
I have a friend who, for a long time, resisted systematizing her business. She didn’t like spreadsheets and schedules. She said that level of organization went against her core values of freedom and independence.
It cramped her style. Harshed her mellow. Rained on her parade.
Another friend, we’ll call him Chris (because that’s his name), isn’t anti-system. In fact, he uses them every day to manage his busy, one-man coaching business. The trouble is, all of his systems are documented and stored in the worst possible place: his brain.
He would love to be better organized. He knows it would save him time and money. He just doesn’t know where to start.
Both friends suffer from the same ailment, but in different ways.
Among my clients and students (and friends, apparently), System Resistance is an epidemic. If I’m being honest, I’m not immune to it either.
If you’ve ever said:
- “I’m a creative! Systems are a buzzkill!”
- “I’m too busy to document my workflow. I just need to get it done!” (This is my personal strain of System Resistance.)
- “I don’t know how to create a system.” (This seems to be the most common form.)
- “I like to ‘go with the flow’ and not be tied to a dry, boring checklist.”
You might be suffering from System Resistance, too.
Here are some symptoms to watch out for:
- Easily preventable mistakes that make you look unprofessional, such as broken links, coupons that don’t work, and missed appointments
- Inconsistency in publishing, emailing, and launching
- Inconsistent branding that makes your site visitors and potential buyers wonder if they’re even on the right sales page
- Missed deadlines
- Difficulty in or resistance to outsourcing (a.k.a. “It’s faster/easier to do it myself” syndrome)
- Time wasted searching for that file/invoice/password/email you misplaced
And if you’re shaking your head right now and saying, “Systems aren’t for me. My brain doesn’t work that way!” then let me ask you this…
- Do you make a list before heading to the grocery store? Does it save you time and money? That’s a system.
- Do you follow a packing list before heading off on vacation, so you don’t get 300 miles from home before realizing you forgot your phone charger? Also a system.
- Do you separate your whites from your colors? Get your oil changed on the regular? Pay your bills on time? System, system, system.
Clearly, you’re already using systems in your life. You’re probably using them in your business, too. What I’m suggesting is that you make them better. It’s worth the effort, I promise.
🥧 Systems make everything easier, faster, and more efficient
- You’ll make fewer mistakes. If you think it takes too much time to document your systems, ask yourself how much time you’re spending to fix preventable mistakes.
- You’ll waste less time. One study showed that the average knowledge worker (that’s you, BTW) spends 10+ hours every week just looking for stuff.
- You’ll make more money. Create a system for writing a sales page or an email funnel or a webinar pitch. Base it on your best-performing example to date, and not only will you save time, but you’ll earn more.
- You’ll build a loyal customer base. They’ll know exactly what to expect from you, and they’ll buy again and again, and share your resources with others.
And you know what you get with all that added time, money, and happy customers?
Freedom. That’s what.
✅ Action steps to begin systematizing your business
Listen, I’m not saying you have to run your business with the precision of a Marine Corps drill sergeant, but there’s a reason call centers have scripts, pilots have checklists, and cars have maintenance schedules.
Systems just work.
AND, they don’t have to be complicated. Start small and simple.
- Consider your weekly schedule. What’s one thing you do every week, and that you sometimes (a) make a mistake with or (b) spend more time than you want to spend because you’re “reinventing the wheel.” This might be writing a blog post, sending out invoices, or reconciling your accounts.
- Block off at least an hour in your calendar to document a system. Noting each step of a process will make the work itself take far longer than is typical, but you’ll only need to get this detailed one time.
- As you work through the task or project, write down each step. Place special focus on things like decision making (“How do I classify business expenses?”), organization (“Where do I file client intake forms?”), and consistency (“What call to action do I want to include in my blog posts?”).
- Consider creating templates. Blog posts, emails, sales pages, podcast scripts, and client feedback can all be made more efficient and effective with a template.
- Boom! You’re done! Celebrate your win, and start planning how you’ll spend those hours you’re going to save by not having to start from scratch with each and every new project.
There is one last thing though, and this is what separates systems ninjas from systems beginners.
In order for your systems to work, you must use and maintain them. It’s not enough to write them down, stash them in your Google Drive, and never look at them again.
When you sit down to publish a blog post or onboard a new client, the first thing you must do is open up your checklist or template. Don’t lie to yourself and say, “I’ll remember.” You won’t.
What’s more, you’ll begin to make changes—small ones at first, like how much time to block off after a meeting, or what color to use for your sales page headlines. Before you know it, those checklists and templates you spent so much time creating are as useless as a muffler on a Tesla.
Once again, you’ll find yourself storing everything in your brain as those carefully crafted systems devolve into chaos.
Here’s what to do to ensure that doesn’t happen: Every time you complete a project, pull up your documentation. Use it, update it, and run your business like the systems ninja you are.
🙋🏻♀️ Systematizing Q & A
Which tools should I use?
You can use Google Docs, a spreadsheet, tools like Notion or Airtable, a project management system, or anything else that strikes your fancy. I’d recommend starting simple. Don’t try to learn how to use Asana while you’re also learning how to systematize.
What should I systematize?
Anything you do repeatedly:
- Content creation
- Client onboarding
- Product development
- Advertising
- Outreach
- Social posting
- Collecting testimonials
You get the idea.
Where can I learn more about systems?
Sam Carpenter (literally) wrote the book on systems, aptly named, Work the System. I highly recommend reading it if you’re new to systems and how they can improve your business.
If you’d like copy-and-paste systems designed especially for online entrepreneurs, that’s what Six-Figure Systems is all about. It’s even in the name!
❤️ P.S. I'd love to help you grow your business. Here are a few ways I can be of service to you:
- Join my Six-Figure Systems community and get instant access to 60+ courses and toolkits to help build, grow, and scale your business.
- Work with me 1:1. I offer two coaching programs, one for brand new solopreneurs and creators, and one for more established business owners who are feeling stuck. Book a call and let’s see which one is the right fit for you.
- Schedule a one-time, “Get Unstuck” call. Bring me your biggest business-building frustration, and we’ll solve it together. You’ll walk away with an action plan to get you to the next step.
- Need something else? Hit reply or email me directly at cindy@cindybidar.com. I read and respond to every one of your emails, and I genuinely would love to hear from you.