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Why you don't trust your business systems (and what to do!)

Writer's picture: Kayla Droog ConsultingKayla Droog Consulting

Do the back-end systems in your business make you uncomfortable?


Maybe you’re not using them to their fullest potential so that they can support you and your business.


I was recently talking with a client about the back-end of her business, and she told me that she has systems, but she doesn’t trust them.


This prevents her from using them properly, which means that she’s spending more time on her administrative tasks than she needs to, those tasks take way more effort than they need to, and there are some tasks that aren’t getting done at all.


So if you’re in the same boat – you feel like you can’t rely on your systems to support you – keep reading, because we’re going to talk about why that is and what you can do about it.





Why you don’t trust your business systems

So, why is it that you don't trust the systems in your business?

If this is how you're feeling, first of all, you're not alone.

I've talked to many business owners who have some systems and processes set up in their business, but they're not using them properly. They don't feel comfortable with them, they don't feel like they can rely on these systems, and that's a problem, because why have them if you're not using them?

So here are some situations where this might happen to you.

Your systems are messy


One of the most common things that I see are business owners who have systems that are messy or unclear.


They need a bunch of cleanup in order for them to work properly.


Maybe you have workflows with dozens of old to-do list items and reminders that you didn't actually follow through with, and now it's just so much of a mess in there that you get overwhelmed and can't move forward.


Maybe you have systems where you weren't 100% clear how to use them properly in the first place, but you tried to move forward anyway, and then that created a whole mess.

Don't feel bad if that's you.


I have seen that so much, and it usually just means that things aren't simple enough, or they're not working the way you and your individual brain need them to.


Your systems are outdated


Another thing that I commonly see are systems that maybe worked well at one time, but now your business has changed, or your main offers have changed, and those systems just don't work the way you need them to anymore.


But maybe you either haven't had time to get them to what they need to be, or you don't know how to update them.


Again, this is a super common problem. No one's business just stays static all the time, right? My business has definitely evolved over the years, and I'm sure yours has as well.

So if your systems have not stayed up to date, doing the things that you need them to do, especially things like workflows and automations, that’s understandable.


If that's you, then it might be time for you to set aside some time to create new systems or revise the ones that you have, or get some help with that.


You had a bad past experience


Another common reason why people are hesitant to use their systems is that they had a bad past experience.


Maybe you got burned by having an automation that sent out things it wasn't supposed to and you found it really embarrassing.


Maybe you had someone set up something that really didn't work for you, but you tried to use it anyway. Then it was really difficult or overwhelming or just didn't work for you, and now you're hesitant to try other systems in the future.


Or maybe you are someone who has a negative association with something in one of your systems and it's making it difficult for you to move forward.


For example, maybe one of your processes involves looking at your financial statements and that gives you a giant ball of anxiety, (and if so, I know where you're coming from), and you just can't bring yourself to do it with the frequency that you're supposed to. So that keeps you stuck from moving forward with that system, because of that one step that freaks you out every time.


Again, I understand where you're coming from, especially if you've had somebody set up something for you in the past that really didn't work for you. I get it. But if it's keeping you from being able to implement things that are going to save you time and make your business easier, or if it's holding you back from doing the things you should be doing regularly to keep your business going at all, that’s a problem, right?


I recommend that you spend some time by yourself, or maybe talking to someone else for some moral support, to think through what it is that's holding you back and how you might address it so that you can move forward and continue to reap the benefits of systems that are going to support your business and make your life easier, but in ways that aren't scary.




You’re finding it difficult to change


The final common reason that I see that people aren't using the systems that they have and they don't trust them is because they got into the habit of doing something else and they're finding it hard to change.


Usually this means that you had a "good enough" process in place, so probably something where you do most of the steps manually, but you feel pretty fast at it because you got used to doing it.

Now you have some sort of system or automation in place that's supposed to make that easier, but because you feel a little bit intimidated by that system or automation, you're going back to that thing you were doing before because it feels easier.


And I get it, we all want to do the thing that feels easiest. But this might be holding you back from passing these tasks off to somebody else so that you don't have to do them at all, or it might be holding you back from ways to do them more easily, more quickly, maybe in a way that's better for your clients because they get responses to things right away.


There are many reasons why implementing a system or automation for this task is going to end up being better for your business in the long run.


I understand that change is hard and it can be difficult, and we sometimes feel like we don't have the time to learn new things. But in general, building good systems that are doing the things that you want them to do and then getting used to using them is going to be so much better than using the haphazard, MacGyvered processes you’ve been relying on in the past.


What to do if you don’t trust your systems


If one or some or all of these things that I mentioned apply to you, don’t panic!


Here are some things that you can do to fix the situation and get some systems that actually work for you and your business so that you can move forward with systems that you can trust and rely on.


1. Simplify


The first thing that I recommend that you do is simplify.


A lot of people that I work with and talk to have too much going on in their business. They are trying to do too many things, and they have tried to create too many systems to support that.


If you can reduce the number of automations that you need and if you can narrow down the software that you need to support your business, that makes things so much easier. I see a lot of people with all of these different tools and platforms, and a lot of them have overlapping capabilities. You may not need all of them.


Or you might have some tools and platforms that you are under-utilizing to the point where it doesn't make sense for you to keep paying for it anymore.


So if you can pare down the number of tools that you're using, that's going to make your setup much easier to maintain, easier to update when you need to, and it's going to make things less overwhelming for you.


2. Do a systems audit and cleanup


The next thing that I encourage you to do is to do a cleanup and audit of the systems that you already have.


This means cleaning out any old notifications and workflow tasks and things like that that don't apply anymore.


Then go through your templates and figure out what still applies to your business.


Really try to narrow things down to what you're actually using now, what you actually need day-to-day, and focus on beefing up those systems and streamlining them.


3. Practice with your systems


The next thing to do - and I know you may not want to do this - but if you want to use a specific tool or platform and you want it to make your life easier, you are going to have to spend some time getting used to it and getting comfortable with it.


You are going to have to practice with it.


You are not going to find a platform that is going to be completely easy and intuitive to use right from moment one without any learning curve whatsoever. Spend some time getting comfortable with the tools that you want to use to support your business every day.


And if you are not comfortable with them, I want you to get used to that discomfort. It's not going to last forever. You are going to learn how to use these tools and these systems properly, but maybe just not immediately, and that's okay.


Even for me, when I learn a new platform, because I'm used to working with these different types of platforms and I'm used to picking up new ones all the time, I'm able to learn them fairly quickly, but there’s still a learning curve for me. I don't know of anyone who can just pick up any random piece of software ever and be amazing at it immediately. That's just not realistic.


You are going to have a learning curve. It is going to take you a little bit of time to get comfortable with a new tool. That doesn't necessarily mean it’s the wrong platform for you or that the system is bad. It probably just means you’re not used to it yet. I recommend practicing and giving it a chance before throwing in the towel.


4. Get some help


The final step that I recommend, if you have tried practicing on your own and you have tried to do cleanup and streamlining and simplifying on your own, and it's just not getting you where you want to be. That is the point where I would get help.


Reach out to someone who knows more about systems or the specific platforms than you. They can help you make sure that what you have is actually what you need.


It might just be that there are adjustments that you need to make somewhere to make these things work better for you or more easily, or it might be that you need some training from someone who knows a bit more than you.


Don't be afraid to ask for some help or some guidance to get you through that transition period until you feel more comfortable with your systems and you’re actually utilizing them properly to make your life and your business easier.


If you have questions about the systems in your business or you're looking for support, please reach out to me. I'd love to chat with you.

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ABOUT

Kayla Droog Consulting supports heart-centered small business owners with the back-end systems setup and updates they don't have time to do, so they can focus on serving their clients and growing their businesses!

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