Are you creating a money-making machine or a just another job? When we embark on our venture as entrepreneurs, we usually start a business in a field that we are good in or that we have passion for. You love to cook so you start a restaurant; you're a great graphic designer so you start a graphic design business.

But the big flaw in this approach is that the company is YOU. Your cooking skills, your design skills are the core of the business. If you're not around what happens? So in reality what you've really done is created a lifelong job for yourself.  It needn't be all bad news though...

Now, this is not a bad thing because you have the best boss in the world and all the freedom that employment could never offer -you get to pick which 20 hours of the day you get to work. BUT if you go on vacation or take a few days off, you stop making money. Because it YOU that's making the money.

Maybe in time you get some employees so you can keep the revenue stream flowing. But if you have to go in to the office everyday because the system will fall apart without YOU being in the middle of it, then it's nothing but a job that you are solely responsible for. However, if you can disappear for a new months and come back and everything is still running like clockwork "and growing," then you have created a real, viable money-making business machine that can really give you the life of your dreams.

Really, to have what we think of as a successful business you need to be able to replace yourself. You need processes and systems in place so that you can focus on strategic initiatives while your staff are "hands on" on the "delivery" side of the business.

Think of it like this: How would your company keep the revenue coming WITHOUT YOU? What things would your replacement need to do? How would they have to do them. How are these items communicated to the rest of the team (because if you want to grow, you won't be able to do it all by yourself).

If you were to sell your business, how would you train the new owner to keep making money like you did?

Here are a few things you can do today to begin the process of "You replacement" and systematizing your business.

Document everything YOU do in your capacity to generate sales, this includes writing down your sales scripts, presentation techniques, follow up methods, etc.

For an example of one type of systems documentation, click here to get an example of our Lead follow up process document and checklist.

Using the power of the web we can help you automate many of your lead generation, lead nurturing, and sales follow-up systems.

If you don't have any systems yet we can help you develop these for a hands-free process that will be one step closer in the quest to replace yourself!