When I say “workflow” do you feel a chill run up your spine or do you pull out your color coded notebook and grin? Honestly, from my experience, I feel like business owners typically fall in one camp or the other. Nothing wrong with that!! But, as someone who has helped business owners streamline various parts of their business, I have to admit I’m the one that always sees the benefit of a workflow. Workflows make our lives easier. They’re meant to take some of the mental load that we carry around out of our brains and into a physical list so that we can use our energy where it’s really needed.  But, I get it. When it comes to building a workflow for a part of your business, it can feel overwhelming. Where do you start? How do you break it down? Well, that’s what today’s post is about! We’re going to talk about how to create workflows in your business. Whether you’re streamlining your client experience or creating a system for your blogs, building a workflow works the same way. 

Step #1: Lay out every step.

Grab a blank sheet of paper or open up a Google doc. Write out every step of your process. Seriously, don’t leave anything out! Make sure you list every email, guide, or item published as part of your system. Once you’ve got it all out, look at a few things. First, see what can be automated. This will depend on what the workflow is for – things like CRMs can automate a lot more than a workflow for blog prep, for example. Take this time to also review and make sure every step is needed! 

Step #2: Create templates.

Anywhere that you can in a workflow, create a template. Sending a reminder for a questionnaire? Write a template. Share a published blog with your clients? Yep, template. Same goes for questionnaires, invoices, or anything that you can do to make your process consistent and easy to work through. And if you’re just making a workflow on Trello for blogs or social media, consider creating a list that houses your workflow checklist so that you can easily duplicate it on your future cards! Seriously, anything that makes it easier to do what you do matters. 

Step #3: Make time to review. 

Workflows are great… but they don’t last forever. As your business evolves, so should your workflow. Take the time once a year or so to review the list and steps. Is there anything you need to add? Maybe you sell albums now! Or can you remove something? Maybe you changed your packages. Review both the steps and any documents or templates associated with your workflow. 

Here’s the thing about workflows: they change your life but they take some prep work. There’s nothing wrong with taking the time to build them out the way that you want. I know they’re scary but they will save you time in the long run and help you feel more in control of everything going on! Let me know if you might want me to share my blog workflow with you!

Want more help streamlining your business? Let’s talk!

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