Over the past three years I’ve used a number of different organisational tools both online and printed to best organise my time to my client’s advantage. Basecamp, Google Docs, Client Spot, Central Desktop and more. While each of these software packages made communicating with my team easier, it still made seeing the bigger picture difficult for me and that’s when I realised I needed to once again, change my systems. I’m a very visual person and what I was using just wasn’t cutting it or the Aussie dollar made it too expensive for my budget.

Three years ago I started with my humble notebook but then again, I only had 1 – 2 clients at the time. Task management and tracking was easy and there was no chance of anything falling through ‘the cracks’.

These days I have anywhere from 9 to 15  clients who all regularly use our services and I am yet to find a software package that fits all my needs. There have been a few that were very close but in the end they all lacked that certain something that made it perfect.

Currently I’m using a spreadsheet with a sheet for each client. My current system is far from perfect but I’m interested in hearing how others manage their client tasks and projects? Do you give your clients access and if so do they use it? Do you just use Outlook to manage everything?

Why is it important to have systems in place?
Imagine loading up the family or your partner into the family car and I mean really loading up the car for a long journey. Everyone is strapped in and ready to go and your partner suddenly remembers that you forgot to pack the street directory. No problem you say and you start your journey regardless.

But somehow, you get lost on the freeway. Which exit are we supposed to take again? Oh no, it was the one we just passed. How do we backtrack and get back to the right exit? Panic sets in and no one is enjoying themselves anymore.

Managing your business without solid systems in place is very much the same. If you don’t have standardised systems in which to complete certain tasks and activities, you end up creating more work then is necessary for yourself and your employees, and then it all stops being fun. If you have employees or use subcontractors then you will find general productivity is low and when that happens, profits are low.

Without realising it, you may already have systems in place but because you haven’t thought about them specifically, you’re just not aware. Is there a better way to doing things within your business? What happens when you bring an employee or subcontractor onboard? Are they going to know how to complete tasks to keep your business running?

This year I’ve decided that it’s my year to set up my systems, once and for all. When I first began to build my team, I knew that I needed to write them down but due to lack of time and lack of planning on my behalf, it never happened. Big mistake.

Without systems, it made completing internal and client tasks difficult. We were wasting time and were inefficient. Not a good thing for a service provider.

Once I had my aha moment, I started the process by purchasing the “Systems of a Successful VA” ebook by Kristi Pavlik. I’ve written procedures before but seeing how Kristi has set up her procedures within her business makes a whole lot of sense. She also includes templates to help you get started.

I then signed up for an account with Lovely Charts to begin charting how information flows within my business.

It’s been a slow process but my goal is to have ALL my processes documented for both my business and for the tasks completed for our clients by the end of June 2009.

So how about it, are you going to join me and document all your processes by the end of June 2009?