It's Not You, It's Your Back End

For more than 7 years, I've been talking to women about their businesses almost every day and one thing lots of them have in common is this idea that when things aren't going to plan, they must be the problem. That couldn't be further from the truth. They are incredible, talented, inspirational and a million other great words that I don't have space for here.

What the problem usually comes down to isn't that they're bad at business. It's their back end letting them down.

Here’s how that can easily happen.

You start a business and in the beginning you’re wearing all the hats and learning as you go. You prioritise the parts of the job that bring in money and you put some bits on the back burner with a promise to come back to them when you have time.

Something you soon realise is... you never come back to them. So you end up in a situation where your business is outgrowing your back end and it no longer supports you properly. That’s when things start to break down.

Here’s what that might look like day to day.

• Having to run client onboarding from scratch every single time

• Half set up tech that promised to make your life easier but you just couldn't find the time or the headspace to really learn so now it just sits there, sending you the occasional email to try and make you feel guilty that it's just one more thing you haven't finished.

• Promising to follow up with someone then promptly forgetting

The thing about your back end is that it can feel overwhelming. So many areas need attention that you have no idea where to start so you simply don’t.

Here’s what’s really going on. Your business becomes a patchwork of workarounds and tools doing jobs they were never made to do and nothing saves you time like you hoped it would.

When I start working with a client who has a back end issue, I almost always see the same thing. Too many tools. No clear processes. The business owner is the bottleneck because all the important information lives in their head.

What makes everything harder is that we’ve somehow glamourised wearing every hat and while that’s fine in the beginning, at some point it stalls growth.

I read a book once that I talk about a lot. The E-Myth by Michael Gerber. In it he talks about a pie maker who worked for another bakery. Everyone told her she was the best pie maker and that she should start her own business. So she does. At first everything is great. She’s making pies, people are buying pies and life is good. Then she realises she has to spend some of her pie making time actually running the business - being the accountant, the marketing department, stock control, operations, HR, etc. Suddenly she can’t serve as many customers, profits dip and she no longer loves what she does.

Outsourcing the back end of your business allows you to keep making the pies. And let’s face it, nobody makes pies quite like you. But, if it is something you want to tackle yourself, let me introduce you to the ‘good enough’ concept.

The perfectionists amongst you will be screaming when I say this… You don’t need an all singing all dancing back end. You just need it to help you get things done without relying on your memory and without things falling through the cracks.

Automation is a bit of a buzz word at the moment and while there are simple automations that can make a big impact, most people overdo it in the beginning then blame the tech when they get frustrated. Keep things clear, simple and consistent.

A good enough system looks like:

• Knowing where things live

• Finding what you need when you need it

• A smooth client experience

• No forgotten tasks

Most importantly, a good enough system means you can have a day off and the business won’t burn to the ground. Sounds great right?!

So you know that your back end needs work but you still don’t know where to start. I’ve got your back.

Here are 5 core pieces that will make the biggest difference:

1. Create clear processes for the things you do all the time

Onboarding, offboarding, client calls, project steps. These don’t have to be perfect. They just have to be written down. Bullet points are fine.

2. One main place where tasks and deadlines live

I know you love your three notebooks and six apps but pick one home. That’s all you need.

3. A sensible tech stack

Chances are you don’t need big fancy tools at this stage. You need tools that:

• you will actually use

• ideally talk to each other

• don’t cost you the earth

Start simple then grow if you need to.

4. A good client experience

You may be paddling like a duck but your clients shouldn’t feel it. Smooth emails, clear instructions and intuitive portals. Tiny touches build trust.

5. A weekly reset routine

This one is my favourite. Last thing on a Friday before I finish for the weekend I take 20 minutes to tidy things up. Stray emails. Docs I’ve accidentally saved to the desktop. Clearing my to do list for Monday. Double checking priorities. Cleaning the office and switching off.

Breathe.

Starting Monday with an organised desk and an organised brain sets you off on your best foot. It also creates the headspace to tackle the bigger pieces and prioritises your wellbeing which isn’t always the case when you run a business.

Here’s one thing you can do today to get started:

Commit to sitting down and doing a tool audit. Make a list of all the tools you’ve signed up for and their purpose. Note the tools you actually use and which ones you’re getting rid of. Even just writing this down will feel like a good step forward.

Before I wrap this up I just want to say that I think you’re incredible. Running a business is hard work and you’re doing a great job.

You’re totally capable of implementing everything I’ve talked about today but if you want to hash it over with someone else feel free to book a free call and we can see if I can help you finally get your back end working for you not against you.

If you have any questions about today’s blog you can reach me at hello@meganmailer.co.uk