In the world of online business, there are four things every business needs to have a strong foundation. A successful business happens when these things are in place.
Now, before we start going through the four things every business needs, let me say that there are actually more things a business needs to be successful. However, these are four things that most businesses do not have. It doesn’t mean that they aren’t successful. But imagine how much easier life could be with these four things!
As you read through this list, make a commitment to add these things to your business to make it better than it is today.
Recurring Task List
It goes without saying, every business needs a project management tool. Within that project management tool are many key pieces that keep a business organized and running efficiently.
One of those key pieces needs to be a recurring task list. There are so many tasks that need to be completed on a regular basis. When you bring on a team and start assigning tasks to others, some of these recurring tasks can slip through the cracks.
By having a dedicated area for all of your recurring tasks, you can ensure that everything gets the attention it needs. You won’t have to worry that something gets forgotten.
Personally, I have a list in my ClickUp (affiliate link) account specifically for recurring tasks. I have daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly tasks in this list. Each task has its own task card. I also use the legacy recurring feature so when I check the task as complete, ClickUp automatically resets my due date and keeps it under the correct status (daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly).
Virtual Office
Even if you own a brick-and-mortar business, you need a virtual office. Google Drive and Dropbox are the two most commonly used softwares for this purpose. A virtual office is where all of your important documents are stored for easy access.
Of course, easy access happens only when you have things organized. For example, there should be one folder for all of your master documents. You should have other separate folders for your templates and SOPs. I also like to have a folder for a client’s programs or services they offer.
Within each of these folders, I may have additional folders to organize the documents even more. There may be a lot of clicks to get to the document you want, but at least you’ll know where to find it!
Another tip to access a document quickly, especially if it’s for something you need regularly, is to add a link to the document in your project management tool.
For more information on setting up your virtual office, check out this blog post.
Metrics Spreadsheet
Metrics is something that is starting to get a bit more attention. Most people don’t feel comfortable with tracking metrics simply because they don’t know what they need to track.
To figure out what to track, determine what you are trying to improve. All of the metrics you track should tie to that piece of your business.
If you are wanting to improve your marketing, begin to track numbers related to your email marketing, social media marketing, or any other activities you are doing to increase your visibility. How do these numbers change based on your efforts?
Once you gather that information, you can determine the areas you need to improve and experiment with different content or tactics to improve.
Once you see improvement, don’t stop there. Keep tracking your metrics on a regular basis (you should set a recurring task reminder!) so you can see the trends in your business. If you track your metrics closely, you’ll notice a problem area quickly so you can make changes immediately.
Documented Process To Hire A Team Member
In order for your business to grow, you are going to need team members. Bringing on a new team member is a big event in a business. You want to treat it as such.
Rather than hiring on a whim and ending up with a team member who isn’t a great fit, it’s better to begin preparing for a new team member before you even need one.
On a regular basis, keep track of all the tasks you are doing. Are there any that could be done by someone else? If the answer is yes, you will want to start thinking about hiring a new team member.
Once you are ready, you’ll need to write up a job description, create an application, interview the candidates, and hire someone. This all takes time. But if you have it all documented and know what needs to be done next, things will move forward more smoothly and you’ll have an ideal team member on your team.
Four Things Every Business Needs
If you take time today to implement the four things every business needs, you will find your business operating even more efficiently while you continue to make forward progress in your business.
Again, these things aren’t vital to running a business. But, if you are serious about building a business that can scale, these four things have to be done first.
