Let's talk systems! Every small business benefits when systems are put in place so that the company can run smoothly with or without the people who started them.
If you have recently launched a business and all the "secret sauce" is in your head then you will have trouble down the road.
Who can forget Lucy and Ethel in the chocolate factory? Although, not entrepreneurs, Lucy and Ethel falsely believed that because someone else could run the factory line so could they...well ....you know the rest of the story. 
The difference between a successful business and a failed business is often as simple as the process of how the work is done. In the case of Lucy and Ethel sorting chocolate in the factory line, it is clear that the answer to profits is NOT to eat the product just because the systems break down. Think about how your business easily goes out of control because systems aren't in place when a change occurs. An example many women entrepreneurs in retail can relate to is not having enough help to keep business running smoothly when customers are flocking in for a sale. Losing even one customer to lack of customer service is a cost no business can afford. Breaking down every aspect of how to operate your business at peak performance times is critical to your success. Don't try to wing it assuming that your customer will understand your lack of attention. Most often, the "special sauce" in a small retail business is the customer service....lose that and lose the sale...and the customer.
Another example of a process or system that every service business must consider. How is your billing managed? Businesses would all be more likely to succeed if all clients paid in full when due. The fact is most businesses have customers that believe 60, 90 to 120 days is perfectly acceptable to make payment. And, if you are fortunate, or unfortunate whatever the case may be to do business with the government, don't be surprised if it takes up to 6 months to be paid in full. What system will you put in place to make sure slow payers aren't forgotten about? Don't laugh! I know businesses that have little record of who owes money because they are too busy focusing on where to make their next sale. Will you charge interest on unpaid balances? If the service you offer requires out of pocket expenses on your behalf and you aren't reimbursed for these by your client than you are basically acting as a bank for your customer. Putting systems in place before you get your business in the red will assist you in growing your bottom line rather than always playing catch up.
Finally, every business, no matter how small, should write an operations manual. The how, when, what, where and why of the business. The steps it takes each day, each week, each month, each quarter, and each year to run the business. The manual needs to be continually updated as the business grows. An operations manual prepares you for an exit strategy of any kind. With systems in place, every small business can and will beat the competition. Just as you would backup your computer, your business manual backs up what's in your head and puts it down on paper. "Before anything else, preparation is the key to success", said Alexander Graham Bell and let's face it he truly is the granddaddy of all systems - in case you don't know, he invented the telephone.
