HBW091: Sonaya Williams, Seamless Systems to Make Your Business Run Smoothly

Seamless systems are the cogs and gears that make every successful business run. When they work properly, they are finely tuned and seem magically effortless - but they don’t happen by accident. Seamless systems are something you, the business owner (and your team) have to intentionally create. Rosetta’s guest on this episode is Sonaya Williams and you might call her a systems and team guru. She specializes in putting together systems and processes that support and run business so that clients are cared for well, nothing falls through the cracks, and those who work within the business are happy and fulfilled in what they do. We all need this kind of stuff, don’t we? You won’t want to miss this conversation.

Your business will live or die on the efficiency of the systems within it.

All you have to do in order to see the vital nature of systems is to look around you. The created universe operates according to systems (though we don’t always call them that). The solar system, the water cycle, every human invention - all of them are governed and run by systems. When it comes to your business, the better your systems, the more profitable and stress-free your business will be. In this conversation, Sonaya Williams shares why she’s built a business to teach other business owners and entrepreneurs how to build and implement systems - and how she can help you get your business finely tuned and humming along. She’s even got a free gift for you that will enable you to find and hire the right team members, so be sure you listen.

Need seamless systems? Start by creating a list of all the things you do.

You won’t have a chance of building good systems for your business until you clarify exactly what it is you do and how you are presently doing it. The easiest way to do that is to begin making lists. You can jot down bullet-point outlines of the tasks you actually do or manage, in order to get an overview snapshot of what is on your plate. From there, begin prioritizing what needs to be systematized, optimized, or delegated first. Sonaya Williams is on the show to give you an idea of what seamless systems can do for you and your business. Your clients will be happier - and you will, too - so be sure to listen.

In order to implement good systems in your business, you'll have to make a mindset shift.

It’s one thing to recognize what smoothly working systems can do for your business. But it’s another to successfully implement them. Believe it or not, one of the things that often keeps entrepreneurs or business owners from implementing their carefully-devised systems is their own inability to let go of the work. It could be a tendency toward controlling everything that holds them back - or it might be good old perfectionism - but no matter the reason, a mindset shift is needed in order to bring good systems online and make them work. Rosetta's guest, Sonaya has a good deal of insight for you about how you can get over that hurdle, on this episode of Happy Black Woman.

If you’re going to implement powerful systems you have to be willing to let go of the work.

Most business owners are go-getters, people who can see what needs to be done and have the initiative and drive to make it happen. But that strength often comes with a downside: they believe that nobody can do the work as well as they can. The problem with that belief is that it’s seldom true. No doubt, they are talented but there are many things that go into making their enterprise run that they are not the best at. Letting go of the actual work that happens in your business is hard because it requires that you trust others and empower them to work on your behalf. On this episode of Happy Black Woman, Rosetta chats with Sonaya Williams about how to make that transition - and the two of them highlight the incredible benefits that come from making it. This one is a “must listen” episode for every wanna-be or current entrepreneur or business owner.

Outline of this great episode

• [1:19] How Rosetta and Sonaya met (but not yet in person).
• [2:29] Sonaya Williams: Helping people find solutions and making them easy.
• [6:01] How Sonaya wound up in London.
• [8:23] What is a seamless system and how can you implement them in your business?
• [11:51] The mindset shift behind the implementation of systems and adding team members.
• [15:50] What are the best places to look for a great virtual assistant?
• [18:46] Intermediate steps to improve existing systems and workflows.
• [22:00] The value of using project management tools.
• [24:00] Sonaya’s personal strategies to stay on track.
• [30:03] The #1 piece of advice for those starting out (or wanting to).
• [34:55] How you can get Sonaya’s free gift.

Resources & Links mentioned in this episode

• www.sonayawilliams.com