21 Business Controls to Help You Let Go of More (and worry less)

It seems that my last article on how to use systems and controls to incrementally pass over more autonomy and “ownership” to your team for various functions of your business struck a nerve.

In this article I wanted to go into greater detail about “business controls” by giving you a list of 21 concrete examples of business controls. Read through the list. It will give you a clear grasp of what controls are and how they fit into the plan of scaling your company.

 

 

Sample Sales and Marketing Controls

  • Written list of pre-approved concessions or negotiating parameters
  • Approvals process for all sales exceptions
  • Standardized sales paperwork and contracts
  • Sales scripting
  • Limited / segmented access to company database of prospects and clients
  • Master marketing calendar
  • Lead-generation scoreboard
  • Automated marketing e-mail sequences
  • Standardized sales collateral

Sample Operational Controls

  • Operating budgets
  • Production schedule / timeline
  • Customer surveys
  • Preapproved vendor list
  • Competitive bidding process for all contracts over a certain dollar level
  • Quality review checklist
  • A centralized (likely cloud-based) document filing system

Sample Financial Controls

  • Cash registers
  • Formal employee expensing system
  • Formal written refund policy
  • Written customer credit policy
  • A/R write-off approval process

Start small. Pick one simple control that you know hurts your company for not having it. Over the next 30 days create and implement your first version of this simple control.

For more ideas on growing your business, including a free tool kit with 21 in-depth video trainings to help you scale your business and get your life back, click here.

If you’re ready to get your business out of your way—
the next step is to talk to one of our expert business coaches.

We’ll look at how your business is operating today, what’s getting in the way, and whether there’s a clear path forward.

You don’t need more ideas.

You don’t need to work harder.

You need to understand what’s actually keeping your business dependent on you—and what to do about it.

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Talking with one of our expert business coaches is the best way to figure out what’s actually holding your business back, but if you’re not ready for that, you can also access our free Business Growth Toolkit, which contains tools and frameworks we are actively using with our clients right now.

  • Learn the exact steps to take to reach passive ownership or selling the business for large multiples
  • Learn how to setup systems and internal controls to run the business for you – while it makes even more profit
  • Get the tools you need to stop the overwhelm and start a straight-forward path to successful scaling

No fluff. Just practical tools you can apply immediately.