The Mind Your Time Podcast | Empowering Entrepreneurs to Streamline, Scale, and Live Their Legacy

The Must-Fix Business Systems That Make or Break Your Growth

• Shannon Baker | Business Operations Strategist • Episode 216

Share episode

Are your business systems for growth actually helping you scale, or are they slowly wearing you down? 

If every new client, project, or opportunity is making your business feel heavier instead of lighter, you are not alone. It is easy to think that growth just means more clients, more revenue, more opportunities. But without the right systems in place, more can quickly become too much.

In this episode, I am pulling back the curtain on the must-fix business systems for growth that either support your success or quietly sabotage it. These are the foundations that keep things running smoothly behind the scenes so you can lead with clarity, protect your time, and grow without burning out.

Whether you have been working in organized chaos or patching things together as you go, those cracks in your backend will show up as your business expands. This conversation will help you get clear on what is actually slowing you down and where to focus so growth feels easier, not heavier.

Tune in to hear the one system most business owners skip and why skipping it keeps them stuck in survival mode. You will hear more about:

1:48: The moment I realized my backend was holding my business back and how that shifted everything about the way I work

4:26: Why growth exposes every crack in your backend and how to recognize the warning signs before they cost you time, energy, and clients

6:46: The truth about why tools don’t fix messy processes and what to focus on before you invest in new software or team members

9:25: How the right systems turn you into a leader who guides the business instead of one who’s always putting out fires

11:09: A quick win challenge to help you see exactly where your process is breaking down and how to start fixing it today

14:10: How the Back Office POWER Checklist can help you identify your gaps and create a clear plan for sustainable growth

 Related Episodes Mentioned:

EP 212 - The 6 Core Systems Your Business Needs to Grow Without Burnout

EP 214 - Stop Hiring in Chaos: How to Delegate Successfully

Resources Mentioned:

📋 Grab the Back Office POWER Checklist,  a fillable Google Doc, to help you quickly audit your back office, spot inefficiencies, and create a smoother, more efficient business!



Let me know your thoughts! Click here to send me a text.

Leave a Rating and Review: https://ratethispodcast.com/mindyourtime







Speaker 1:

If your business is starting to grow but everything behind the scenes is getting harder to manage, to the point that you are overwhelmed, this episode is for you. Today, I'm going to break down the must-fix systems that either support your growth or are silently sabotaging it because they're missing. So if your back end feels duct taped together and you're ready for more clarity, more control and way less stress, let's get into it. Welcome to the Mind your Time podcast. I'm Shannon Baker, your copy loving host and business operations strategist. Each week, I'll share practical insights and bold strategies rooted in my power and motion framework to help you streamline your operations, reclaim your time and build a business that supports your life. Whether you're just starting out or scaling to six figures and beyond, these episodes will help you take control and create success on your own terms. So grab a cup of coffee or your favorite beverage and let's dive into today's topic.

Speaker 1:

Okay, I have a confession to make. I didn't always love systems. In fact, I didn't even know what systems were when I started my business as a virtual assistant. But eventually I learned the hard way that they are the things that you can't just piece together if you want your business to thrive. But before that lesson was learned. I was doing good work, I was booking clients, I was staying busy, but everything behind the scenes it was pure chaos. And I will never forget the part of my journey when I was juggling multiple client projects, working a full-time job, raising a family, and I was exhausted. I mean to the point that I was like how am I supposed to keep this up? And then one day I realized I had promised the client something and I completely forgot about it. It wasn't in my planner, it wasn't on my digital calendar, I couldn't even find the email that I needed to complete the task, and it definitely wasn't in any kind of project management tool, because I wasn't using one and I almost lost that client. That was the moment that I realized something had to change. And this didn't just happen because I was disorganized, because by nature I'm a very organized person. But that didn't matter, because I was just trying to grow a business without the backend that needed to support it. And that's when it clicked.

Speaker 1:

The problem wasn't how much I was doing, it was how I was doing it. And that's when I made the decision that I wasn't going to keep working in that chaos. So I started paying attention to when I worked and how I worked, not just what I worked on, and that laid the foundation for the kind of business that I run today, and I help my clients build the same type of business. So the tips that I'm gonna share today and the strategies that I share on the podcast in general, they are tried and true, and I'm not saying that you need to do things exactly the way that I did by all means, but I'm pretty sure that you can relate to the struggle that I've had over the years and the things that I've had to overcome, and you can get something from what I learned or the mistakes that I made, so that you can also get past that.

Speaker 1:

Now, if you're out here doing meaningful work, your clients are happy, your business is growing and you're getting noticed. Kudos to you. But I also know for many of you, everything behind the scenes is keeping you up at night. So if that's you, I want you to recognize that it doesn't mean you're necessarily doing anything wrong, but your systems are not in place or your business is not equipped to support all of that because the systems are missing. So let's talk about what you actually need to fix before you experience this growing pain because more clients and bigger opportunities won't fix a messy back end. It will just magnify the issues. And if you already have steady growth, then you are experiencing these growing pains and it's time for us to get it under control.

Speaker 1:

So let's start with the first hard truth. Growth exposes every single crack in the back end of your business, and when you first start your business, you can get by with a couple of sticky notes and you can still make things happen when you're working with organized chaos. But, as you prove, your business concept is viable and your business starts growing. That means you're taking more calls, so you need a screening process. You also need templates to respond because you're going to get more inquiries.

Speaker 1:

Basically, there are a ton of moving parts and every little inefficiency in your back office becomes a big energy drain. So you end up spending more time double checking to see if you sent that response or that contract. If you reply to an email, sometimes you forget to follow up with people, so you miss out on good opportunities. And that doesn't even count for the time that you lose constantly searching through your computer or your Google Drive or Dropbox or OneDrive trying to find that one document you used the last time, you know, the one that has the wording exactly the way that you want it. And it's not that you're disorganized. Well, maybe, but in reality, the fact is that your business has outgrown the way you've been operating.

Speaker 1:

You need systems, and this is where a lot of business owners get stuck, or they just ignore this all together and continue to operate by the seat of their pants. And then we're told in the online space that you just need to hire help or work harder, work smarter, not harder but no one tells you what actually needs to change to address all of this, and if you keep ignoring it, it will only get worse. The truth is, you don't need more help because you're doing things manually. You need a business that supports you automatically, because once you start booking clients consistently or you get enough business to the point that you start to raise your prices, those cracks in your backend are going to start costing you real time, real energy, money and trust. And that brings me to the second big mindset shift that you need to make. You don't need more tools, you need more structure, and this is big because it's very easy to fall into. The tech will save me trap. This is the second biggest trap I've seen business owners make outside of hiring help, way before their business is ready for that type of support.

Speaker 1:

Now, I'm not going to get on my soapbox about that today, because I've covered that already in the episode Stop Hiring in Chaos how to Delegate Successfully, and you can check that out later if you're thinking about building a team to help you solve this issue. Spoiler alert it's not gonna work. But here's the truth that no one talks about Tech. Tools do not fix messy processes, they just disguise them. So maybe you've tried Google Sheets, clickup Notion, airtable, trello Monday the list can go on and on hoping that one of them is going to finally make your business feel more organized. If you don't have documented processes or you're unclear on your process, on your priorities or how things flow, it doesn't matter where you store your documents or what tools you have in your tech toolkit. It's still chaos.

Speaker 1:

So when you create systems in your business, you start to build structure, and when I say systems, I'm talking about a documented process that walks through how to do something for your business, step-by-step. Then your tech tools are integrated and what's left can be delegated to someone other than you See, when your systems are in place, you have a way of working that's repeatable. Boundaries are built into your workflows, things operate efficiently and consistently behind the scenes. That means you can stop reinventing the wheel, because the wheel is already mapped out and in place. And once you have that, my friend, your tools finally start doing what you wanted them to do. Your task manager reminds you at the right time to do something, your client folders follow a naming convention so you can find what you need when you need it. And your scheduler oh, your calendar is completely blocked off and allows for the time that you need to focus and be present in everyday life. So it's not about finding the perfect software or even the perfect person. It's about building a structure that works for you and then plugging your tools and people into that.

Speaker 1:

Now here's the part most people overlook the right systems. They help you lead, not just deliver. So if you're spending all of your time reacting to emails, juggling client deliverables and putting out fires, you're stuck in survival mode, and that is not leadership. And I know that you're not building your business just to feel busy all the time. You're building it to lead, to have control of your time, to create a client experience that feels aligned and it's sustainable. Streamlined systems allow you to do that. They let you lead your clients through a smooth, consistent and clear process that sets expectations and builds trust. They let you say no to the wrong opportunities and yes to the right ones, without panicking and without stretching you too thin. They help you hand off tasks with confidence, because you're not the only person who knows how it all works, and it works without you having to manually do it all yourself. You see, leadership isn't just about having the vision. It's about having the right operations. It's about how your business runs. When you're not the one pushing it forward every single day, and if your business is relying on you to remember, manage and hold everything together, that is not sustainable. That's a burnout plan that is waiting to happen.

Speaker 1:

So where exactly can you start? Well, I've got a quick one challenge for you. I want you to pick one process in your business right now that feels inconsistent or is weighing you down, just one. It could be your onboarding process, it could be how you prepare for sales calls, or maybe it's how you manage your clients. Whatever it is, I want you to write out every single step of that process, and I mean the real version, not the polished one that exists in your head but doesn't work in reality. What do you actually do? Write down the steps in order, and then you can go back and identify what's missing. And I don't want you to worry about fixing it yet, I just want you to get the steps out of your head and onto paper, because once you can see your process, then you can clean it up. Once it's cleaned up, you can create templates, you can streamline it and eventually you can delegate it.

Speaker 1:

That's how systems start, and it doesn't require a fancy dashboard, but it does require clarity. Now, if you want a little help identifying where to start mapping out your backend systems, that's exactly what the Backoffice Power Checklist is for. It walks you through the six core systems your business needs so that you can grow without burnout, and in less than 10 minutes you can see what's working, what's missing and identifying where you need to focus. This is the same checklist that I use to streamline my systems and I use it with my clients and inside of the Mighty Society Systems Insanity Suite. It's designed to help you stop spinning your wheels and start fixing what's slowing you down. You can grab it at theshannonbakercom forward slash checklist or you can just click the link in the show notes.

Speaker 1:

Now, before I let you go, let's ground all of this information with a quick recap. First, growth magnifies what's missing in your backend. If it's messy, getting more clients is not going to fix that. It's just going to make it harder to manage. So before you start to grow in scale, we need to fix the foundation.

Speaker 1:

Second, tech tools are not the solution. Structure is, you can't automate what isn't clearly identified. So start with how you work. Then you can choose tools that support that workflow, not ones that force you into someone else's system. And third, systems are how you lead with intention. They give you control without you having to micromanage. They let you show up for your business, your clients and your life with calmness, clarity and confidence. And that's the kind of business you're really trying to build, isn't it? Not one that just runs, but one that fits the way you want to live and lead. So if you're ready to start building that version of your business, I want you to go to theshannonbakercom forward slash checklist and download the back office power checklist and once you go through it, you will know exactly where to start fixing the things that are silently stealing your time. Remember, you don't need to work harder, you just need the right support, and that starts with your systems.

Speaker 1:

Thanks for hanging out with me this week. If you've made it this far, it's clear you're ready to shake things up and take control of your business, and I'm here for it. But remember, just listening to this episode won't get you better results. I challenge you to break the mold and take action today. Your next move let's connect Head to the show notes and book a call with me to learn how the Mighty Society membership can help you streamline your back office and reclaim your time. If you're not ready for that step yet, no worries, connect with me on Instagram, at the underscore Shannon Baker, and tell me what resonated most from today's episode. And if you're loving the podcast, leaving a review is a quick way to show your support and help more entrepreneurs like you break free from the chaos. Listening is great, but action creates transformation. Go, make it happen and until next time, keep calm and streamline.