Most businesses get to the point where the initial goal and vision from the C-suite starts to be realized. But then what? Most organizations get here through talent, late nights, and bootstrapping their way to figuring it out. 

The problem is that as you start to scale and grow, you reach a point where that's no longer feasible. Pure horse power isn't going to be enough to scale the way you want. You have to be able to build effective and scalable processes. 

The best way to effectively do this is to put one of your businesses most important assets to work: your data. For small businesses, these are vital topics to understand and plan for as your business grows. This article will take you through our recommended best practices to scale your business by optimizing your data.

We’ll break this down into four parts:
 
1) Streamlining Your Workflows
2) Building The Launch Pad For Your Business 

3) Lifting Off
4) The New Frontier (reaching your 3-5 year goals) 

By the end of this guide, you’ll have a better understanding of the building blocks necessary to create the framework for a successful and scaling small business. 

 Streamlining Workflow with the Right Tools

There are two critical questions we would like you to consider to start this guide:

1) Is your team equipped to do their job in the most efficient and effective way possible?
2) Are your clients being taken care of in the best possible way for their specific needs? 

Your team has massive amounts of data at their disposal, data that is critical to your business’s growth. A healthy and growing business optimizes their internal framework to allow the team to be as productive and efficient as possible while providing the best solution to their clients. 

Three practices to consider implementing immediately if you haven’t already: 

Organize customer details

Organizing your customer details in a Customer Relation Management (CRM) platform to facilitate efficiency and communication is crucial. Customized notes for clients, a well-managed sales pipeline, comprehensive communication logs, and accurate company details all act as building blocks to ensure your team is equipped to serve your clients most effectively. 

Regardless of the CRM platform you use, Brewster Consulting Group has a deep expertise in CRM implementation and management to ensure your team is organized internally, delivers exceptional service, and builds strong client relationships.

Tracking workflow

Tools like a Professional Services Automation platform (PSA) to track and organize your service delivery are particularly helpful when you have a more complex client engagement. For example, consulting firms utilize PSAs to effectively manage and track resource availability, minimize bench time and optimize project allocation.

Project management
By implementing a robust project management tool, like Asana or Monday, you can enhance collaboration, task management, and project tracking, ensuring you stay within schedule, under budget, and within scope parameters of your projects. You can collaborate across job silos and manage external and internal access with ease. 

A great project management platform that is implemented correctly handles manual work you were doing before and allows you to focus on what’s most impactful to your business. It allows you to configure the platform to fit your specific business needs. The customization allows your team to work efficiently and in-sync with those around them. 

Brewster Consulting Group follows PMI methodology in any of its PMO or RMO implementation engagements. Project management is so much more than just the tool you’re using to facilitate it. Let's talk if you’re interested in how a PMO can help you!

Building the Launch Pad (putting the right systems in place)

Now that you have identified some of the critical infrastructure to support your business, you need to take action. If you don’t put what you planned into action, all you did was plan for nothing. The temptation is to feel accomplished by planning. After all, the first step is the hardest, right? 

In reality, this phase of building the launch pad can be what trips many small businesses up. Often, they get stuck on the dreaded question, “Now, how do I actually do this?” 

That’s why we wrote this guide. 

Brewster Consulting Group specializes in not only helping small businesses define their core processes and ensure they’re optimized to the business’s objectives, but also in implementing the systems that will best support those processes. 

Oftentimes businesses pick a system because it gives them functionality they don’t currently have. While this isn’t bad on its own, a shiny new system doesn’t fix faulty business processes. If you implement a new system without refining the processes feeding it, you’re just paying more money for the same faulty outcomes. Let’s break it down even further.

Integration between systems

To maintain workflow efficiency and accuracy as your business grows, it is essential to establish connections between your core business systems. You need to identify the key integrations that will enable seamless data flow and eliminate silos within your organization. 

Integrated systems provide a foundation for scalability. As a small business grows, it often needs to add new systems or expand existing ones. Having an organized data architecture with a centralized data lake and/or warehouse allows for far easier integration of new applications or platforms into the existing infrastructure. Having your systems integrated eliminates the need for most manual data entry or analytics and redundant processes saving you time and resources.

For example, some manufacturing businesses can benefit from implementing an ERP system, which provides comprehensive control and visibility over core operations, including inventory management, production planning, and supply chain coordination. An ERP typically includes various modules that satisfy core business needs from a system perspective, leading to streamlined workflow and waste reduction. Be careful though - if your core processes are broken, or your leaders define the same KPIs with a different definition, an ERP doesn’t fix these problems.

For smaller businesses that can't yet afford to build a data warehouse as a centralized hub, using automation tools like Zapier, or integration tools like Boomi can help you pass data between systems in a way that will make all parts of your business more connected.

Lifting Off (optimizing systems to work together)

After implementing the necessary systems, it's essential to focus on making them work harmoniously rather than in isolated silos. Only then can you achieve consistent results for your clients, improve staff morale, and ensure efficient processes across the board.

There are two crucial allies for small businesses who are in the liftoff stage.

1) Understanding your workflow - You can't fix or optimize processes, if you don't know how they work. You also can't optimize systems if you don't understand the workflow. 

2)  Mapping the process - Develop detailed process maps for key business processes. By documenting your key processes, you get organizational buy-in on how processes actually flow. Only then can you identify opportunities for improvement. 

Brewster Consulting Group specializes in process mapping to ensure that your systems align with your desired business outcomes. By optimizing your workflows, we can help you deliver consistent results, and enhance overall operational efficiency.

The New Frontier (reaching 3-5 year goals)

To achieve long-term goals, it's crucial to set up a strong foundation. Instead of constantly firefighting, sustainable solutions implemented today will yield substantial benefits down the line.

There’s a saying, “spend time on the business, not in it.” Your time is one of your most valuable resources, and a business infrastructure that is integrated and running efficiently frees up more of that time for you as a small business owner. 

By integrating data systems and process mapping into your business, you create a strong foundation for reaching your business goals within the next 3-5 years. The integration of data systems ensures accurate and consistent information flow throughout your organization, enabling you to make informed decisions based on real-time insights. 

Process mapping aids businesses in their efforts to streamline operations and enhance efficiency. The synergy between data integration and process mapping empowers you to optimize your business processes, reduce costs, and increase productivity. It also enables your team to leverage data-driven strategies such as predictive analytics and business intelligence, to gain a competitive advantage. 

By harnessing the power of integrated data systems and process mapping, your business can be well-equipped to adapt to changing market dynamics, enhance customer experiences, drive innovation, and achieve your long-term business goals.

Get Connected!

Ready to set your business up for success? Schedule a no-strings-attached conversation with Brewster Consulting Group. We understand the hard work you've put into your business and can tailor a solution to address your specific pain points. Let us help you chart a path to growth and achieve your long-term objectives.