If scaling your accounting firm is on the agenda for 2023, you’re going to have to start with systemization! At this point, we’re well into 2023. We’ve made our resolutions, and started on the spring cleaning… but now it’s time to be practical about our goals and outline the steps we need to take to achieve them.
Ancient Rome could only grow so big; a collapse was inevitable. What is it about scale that affects overall operations? Well, the larger a company is, the harder it is to stay consistent. There are suddenly more clients, more team members working with those clients, and more people doing the same tasks throughout the day, often with their own flair and individualized approach. Then, it becomes hard to guarantee the same service across the board and control what’s happening throughout your firm.
That’s where systemizing comes in! By systemizing your firm, you can be consistent and efficient, which will allow you to grow without fearing your quality of service will dwindle. Systemizing also allows those in leadership positions to rest a bit easier — there’s no need to micromanage when staff already has detailed processes to guide them!
Recording Your Processes
It doesn’t matter if you go to a McDonald’s in Alabama, California, or Vermont — you know exactly what is going to be on the menu. When you eat that burger, it will taste exactly the same. That’s because McDonald’s staff, no matter their location, are using the same recipe and guidelines for interactions with customers.
That’s basically your goal when it comes to recording your processes. Figure out what you’re cooking throughout the day. You could be sending specific types of emails, scheduling meetings, interacting with software, etc. Then, write down the recipe. You want to have detailed written processes that are stored somewhere safe and accessible to your staff.
Get Feedback
Your client’s satisfaction should consistently be centered in your approach to scaling your business. Your main goal in systemizing your services should be delivering the same excellent service to your clients, every time. Consider some of the places that can be systemized. Who is your target audience and how do you reach them? How do you deliver your services? How do you accept payment? It’s also a good idea to involve your clients in this process! We advise sending out regular surveys/feedback forms to glean your clients’ preferences and possible areas of improvement.
Be Ready for Change
Nothing lasts forever, and in this case, it’s because things can always be better! Your processes should continually be improving and making your job easier, not harder. Your team should have an easy-to-follow correction process for introducing and implementing changes. That includes changes both big and small! Whether you initially missed a step in your written procedure or have adopted entirely new software, it’s important that all changes are implemented smoothly!
Now, your firm doesn’t have to look exactly like a fast food franchise. Rather, you’ll want to systemize the most important, most repetitive processes. With these simple processes out of the way, you’ll have the capacity to be more creative in your processes AND free up the time that would be spent checking in on team members to make sure everything is up to par. When you systemize, your 2023 goal of scaling your business becomes much more reachable!
