As my business
has grown over the years, it has progressed in what I view
as a typical fashion – in the beginning there were a few
clients, and as time has passed that client base has
increased. In the beginning, I handled running my business
with ease – I could remember everything that I needed to do
or simple lists kept me organized. I had read and heard
about incorporating business standards and practices, but I
didn’t think it was necessary. My business was so small I
didn’t need to have a form just for recording a client’s
information. It was so small I didn’t need a form or a
standard process for anything. And besides, as a creative
type, a form was very restrictive. I didn’t want some form
telling me what to write and where to write it. So I used
pretty paper, different sizes, different shapes, sometimes
sticky notes, sometimes scraps of paper from the back of the
notebook. And I enjoyed it. I felt free. And when I wanted
to review something I could even think to myself – “I wrote
it on the pink sticky note in the upper left corner in blue
ink” – and sure enough, there it was. I was actually proud
of myself for a while, not getting sucked into being “all
business”. Until the day came that I didn’t remember.
I had several clients and several projects going on at one
time, and that little scrap of paper was nowhere to be
found. For that matter, was it even a scrap of paper? Or was
that the one that was noted on the map for the client I was
going to see, not the client I was talking with? See my
problem? And being the creative type, I truly resisted. I
had to go through many of these situations before concluding
that if I would “restrict” myself by using a form or a
process I could “free” myself from the frustration and move
on with the work.
There is no time like the beginning to set up these systems,
but any time is better than never. Though you may not have
the need for them in the beginning, that is when you have
the most time for the development, and the need will surely
come. You can start simple. Develop a form for gathering the
information that you would like to gather every time someone
calls you with an inquiry. This seems so intuitive, yet many
people resist the idea. The form should include the callers
name, address, home, work and cell number, and their e-mail
address. And most importantly – how did they find out about
you? If the form feels restrictive, take the call and get
the info, and then transfer the info to your form. The day
will come when you, too, can’t find that scrap of paper, and
being able to refer to your form will bring you quick
relief.
Copyright © 2006 Mary Larsen Designs, GrowYourDesignBiz.com
Do you want to use this article on your website or in your
newsletter? If so, you must use the following bio info: Mary
Larsen is the founder of
www.MaryLarsenDesigns.com
and
www.GrowYourDesignBiz.com
– where she helps you design your home
– or design and grow! - your business. She has been featured
on ABCs Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and is cited as an
expert in small business and design in various media
sources.
