After some time off, a move (L), and a partial pivot to video (J), the Financial Flipside Podcast is back! For our first episode of 2020, we thought it would be a good idea to talk about a goal that heads up so many of our lists of New Year’s resolutions: getting organized. Specifically, we’re talking about business systems, those combinations of processes, workflows, and tools that we use to do everything from monitoring cash flow to training employees to literally keeping the lights on. Listen in for a discussion of our adventures in systematizing, processes vs. workflows, app addiction, and establishing good working relationships between systems and tech. Oh, and we also shout out some of the tools that help us save time and effort at work.
As always, we want to hear from you: What has your experience with creating systems been like? If you find yourself in a perpetual state of “getting organized,” what are some of the barriers keeping you from taking the next step? If you’ve managed to implement and stick with a set of systems, let us know your secrets: are there tools or methods that have worked particularly well for you? We’re @financeflipside on all social media. Also, if you haven’t done so already, we hope you’ll subscribe —we’re on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play, or anywhere else you get your podcasts! To catch up on back episodes of the podcast, head over to our Episodes page.
Finally, if you’re looking for a place to engage in some post- or between-show #RealMoneyTalk, join us in our Facebook Group, the Financial Flipside Group Chat. It’s a closed group to allow us to speak freely, but you can find it by searching on Facebook and joining by answering a couple of quick questions. You can also contact us via Messenger.
Notes and reading suggestions under the cut:
Mentioned on the show:
The term tech stack comes from software development, and refers to the coding frameworks or programming languages used to build an app or website Our hunger for snappy jargon and tendency to use tech as a benchmark for other industries being what it is, there are now more than 4 million search results for “tech stack” that don’t mention programming at all, and advice about constructing tech stacks for marketing, human resources, and launching a startup.
Why companies of all sizes need project management.
The 6 biggest benefits of using a CRM in your business
This article from Harvard Business Review explains why it’s a good idea to write down your company’s unwritten rules.
From Tallyfy: What is the difference between a process and a workflow?
Business Mapping’s list of 12 key business systems.
Recommended Reading:
The Process Street Blog (full disclosure: we use Process Street, but we’re not being compensated for saying nice things about their blog. We just find it useful and hope you do as well). If you’re looking for checklists and templates that can help you create and manage processes in various parts of your business, look no further than the Process Street Blog. Process Street is a process management software service, and their blog consistently publishes well-researched articles about every aspect of organizing your business, from the benefits of employee task lists to implementing Six Sigma principles or creating a Knowledge Management System to support your customers and preserve institutional knowledge.
Systems Rock! is run by Natasha Vorompiova, a consultant who helps businesses build systems that scale as they do. A lot of helpful tips and resources here, especially for companies that are going through a growth spurt. This post, about why the best systems come from within your business, is a personal favorite–L.
The EMyth Blog, particularly their six-part series on developing business systems.
