One thing I had to learn (the hard way) about running my own business, is that having systems and processes in place isn’t optional. This is actually required if you want to grow a business to 6-figures without killing yourself with work and is also the best way to get those 5-star reviews on Google and Facebook.

In this post, I’ll go over how having a set process in your business is a great benefit to both you and your clients, how I use processes to work less and get more done, and why this is so important for every business to have.

The same experience for every client

When I first started out with photography, I sort of made things up as I went along. I had a good overall idea of how each client experience should go, but it was never consistent from one client to the next. Everything varied - from how I communicated with clients, to how clients scheduled their sessions, to how photographs were delivered, and when. It was hard to walk someone through what to expect because I haven’t quite nailed down what those expectations should be.

The processes and systems I now use took years to develop and refine.

And while the processes have changed over the years, the one thing that didn’t is the fact that every client that comes in gets the same exact experience as the client beforehand. Why is this important? Because if you get a raving review for your business, whoever hires you next will expect that same level and quality of service. And if you don’t have a way to repeat what you just did for the previous client, you will not be able to deliver.

This is so important because consistency is where most businesses completely FAIL.

Systems can be refined and improved

If you have a system in place for how you nurture leads and convert them into clients, you can incrementally improve that process over time. You can try new things and see if that works better, or you can make a change based on what works best for your own lifestyle. The point is, you can’t improve something if you’re changing things all over the place. There has to be a system and a method where you touch one part of it to see if changing it makes a noticeable move in the right direction. You have to test and use trial and error.. and that can only happen if you have a process that you’re following already.

Processes save time, for everyone

The main reason I started implementing systems in my business (especially anything that’s automated) is because it saves me time. The bonus benefit being that is also saves time for my clients. When you’re fumbling your way through working with a customer without a defined process or system in place, you will send more emails, question what you’re doing, and do the whole back and forth dance, taking up valuable time on each end. There’s a reason why I encourage potential clients to select and book a call with me right on my website - because it basically eliminates the scheduling emails where we try to find a time that works for both of us. What once took an hour to coordinate and schedule now takes 5 minutes. That is the power of having a process in place!

I simply have no time to waste during my day, and everything from my website to how my portrait sessions are structured is optimized for time. I know exactly what needs to be done and have found the best method for doing it, which would have been impossible without implementing fairly structured systems in my business.

You can’t grow past a certain point without processes in place

The saying is “you can hustle your way to $100k”. You can work your butt off and get to the 6-figure income without systems - it’s 100% possible. But you will probably be working non-stop and feel burnt-out at the same time. In the long run, this is never a sustainable or smart approach to business, and you will definitely have trouble going past that point without some smart strategies/systems in place.

This is why it’s so important to start looking at the tasks you do in your business to see how you can systematize them NOW, even if you’re nowhere near that $100k mark.

The truth is, you can get to 6-figures and beyond, without the need for employees, simply by implementing processes that save you time and provide a great experience to your clients, too. This is why I’m such a big advocate for systems - for reviewing and optimizing how you do things in your business - because it can be such a big game-changer for most of us.

So how do you get started?

The best way to do this is to find someone in your industry who is already successful and a few steps ahead of you in the process. This can be a mentor, a friend who has their own profitable business (and not just a business that looks successful on Instagram), or a proven educator.

Look into getting a client management system (I use Iris to automate client emails and keep track of sessions). Learn about business (CreativeLive has some great classes that are geared towards creative business owners). Join a Facebook group (or several). Or find a mentor who you enjoy learning from. Mentors are wonderful for getting you set up with some great processes, but feel free to modify things that aren’t working after you try them out. The great thing about owning your own business is that you get to mold it into the business that works best for YOU, which will probably be a little different than what others are doing. That’s one of the best parts of being a business owner - you get to make all the final decisions!