The Best Time to Create Systems In Your Small Business

When Should You Start Creating Systems in Your Business?

If you’re running a small business, you know the feeling. Your to do list seems to grow no matter how much you do. You’re juggling everything yourself, and tasks seem to pile up faster than you can handle them. Some days, it feels like you’re working harder than ever but still not getting any further forward.

Here’s the reality: the reason you feel stuck and overwhelmed isn’t because you’re not working hard enough. It’s because you don’t have systems in place.

The good news? You don’t have to wait until you’re overwhelmed to start fixing it. The best time to start creating systems in your business is right now. Let’s talk about why systems matter, how they can help you, and what you can do today to get started.

Why Systems Are the Only Way to Grow Your Business

Most small business owners wait until they’re in crisis mode before they think about systems. But here’s the problem: by the time you’re overwhelmed, it’s much harder to build systems. You’re too busy putting out fires to focus on creating the processes that could actually make your life easier.

Starting now - even with something small - has massive benefits. Systems give you:

• Efficiency: Spend less time on repetitive tasks and more time on what matters.
• Consistency: Make sure tasks are done the right way every time, even if you’re not the one doing them.
• Scalability: Build a business that can grow without everything depending on you.

If your business has consistent sales and you’re repeating the same tasks regularly, that’s a sign you’re ready for systems. At this stage, you’ve proven your business model works, and systems will help you streamline operations, reduce mistakes, and set the stage for growth.

If you’re a solopreneur, systems help you get tasks done faster and more accurately. You’re also building your training manual for when you hire your first team member. And trust me, if you want to grow, hiring is inevitable - because no one can do everything alone.

If you have a team, systems let you step back from the day to day. They make delegation much easier, so tasks get done without you having to oversee every little thing.

Systems aren’t just about making your business more organised. They’re about creating freedom - time freedom, money freedom, freedom to grow, freedom to focus on your goals, and freedom to enjoy your life outside of work.

What Happens If You Wait Too Long?

Waiting to build systems might seem like the easy choice now, but it creates bigger problems later:

• Overwhelm: Without systems, repetitive tasks consume your time and energy.
• Inconsistency: Tasks get done differently every time, leading to mistakes and wasted effort.
• Hiring Headaches: Onboarding becomes a nightmare without processes in place to train new team members.

If you’re feeling maxed out and can’t take on more work without overwhelming yourself or your team, this is another sign that your business needs systems to scale. Systems allow you to delegate tasks, optimise workflows, and focus on growth activities. Without them, your business will stay stuck at its current capacity. And you will stay stuck - unable to move forward, doing the same thing day in, day out. 

By starting now, you can avoid most of these problems. That's not to say that you have to create complicated systems, or do them all overnight -  it’s about taking small, manageable steps. One system today, another tomorrow, and soon you’ll have the foundation you need to grow with less stress.

How to Start Creating Systems in Your Business

Ready to get started? Here’s a simple, practical guide:

Ask Yourself One Question
Every time you do a task, ask: Will I ever have to do this again?
If the answer is yes, it’s time to create a system for it.

Start with Repetitive Tasks
Look for tasks you do often, like onboarding clients, sending invoices, or managing emails. These are perfect candidates for your first systems.

Identify Processes to Document
Start by focusing on areas where having a process would be most helpful:

• Where do you find yourself making mistakes? Documenting these areas can reduce errors.
• Do you have to try and remember how to do something? If so, make notes of the steps you take the next time you do the task.
• Are there tasks you do all the time that need to be done the same way each time? Write down how you do it, so they're done consistently. 

Record Yourself Doing the Process
The next time you perform one of these tasks, record yourself doing it. Use screen recording software for digital tasks or your phone for physical tasks.

Document the Steps
Watch the recording and jot down the steps you took. This will serve as the foundation for your documented system.

And if you want a super simple way to do this with AI, check out my SOPs Made Simple Bot!

Keep It Simple
Start with a checklist or a few bullet points. The goal is progress, not perfection.

Free Resources to Help You
Not sure where to even start? Download 100 SOPs Every Business Needs to get a complete list of processes you can build for your business. 

Remember, small consistent actions add up to big changes. Start with one system, keep going and you’ll be amazed at how quickly your business becomes more efficient and less stressful.

Final Thoughts

The perfect time to start creating systems in your business isn’t “someday” - it’s today. Whether you’re running the show solo or managing a small team, systems are the only way to work less, achieve more, and set your business (and yourself) up for long term success.

There’s no perfect time to start, but there are clear signs it’s time to act. Consistent sales, feeling overwhelmed, or needing some help are all strong indicators that your business is ready for documented systems.

Start small. Ask yourself, “Will I ever have to do this again?” and create a simple process. Your future self will thank you!

Freebie & Next Steps

Ready to build systems that save you time and energy? I've got a couple of freebies that will help you with that!

Want ideas for where you should start creating SOPs so you can start outsourcing tasks? Check out the Big List of Business Task for Delegation

If you're interested in learning how to build systems for your whole business, I've got a Quick Start Systems Guide that will help you start building systems while you work. 

And if you want to write SOPs in seconds, take a gander at my $11 SOPs Made Simple Bot. 

Further Reading

Want to learn more about building systems and processes in your small business? 

Check out some of my other articles here: 

How to Easily Create SOPs for Delegation Using AI

Systems, Processes, SOPs, Policies: What's the Difference? A Small Business Guide

Master Process Mapping: The First Step to Simplifying Your Small Business Systems