First let’s talk about what a process map is,
and how it relates to your business.

I know that I have felt frustrated when discussing things such as this, but I hope to take some of the frustration or pressure out of this situation for you.

Process maps are ways to define the workflow of your business operations. Most large companies have process maps so that every aspect of the business can be traced and everyone knows what their roles are.

Now you are wondering how this applies to your business. Many of you have small to medium sized businesses and you don’t have any employees or just a few. The important thing to remember is that your business will not always be the same as it is right now. You are going to grow and change along the way. Process maps will help to make the transitions easier.

For example, lets say that you are a sole proprietor with no one else to rely on but yourself, as your business grows you are going to need some help. Perhaps it is an accountant that you decide you need first. When that person comes into your business it will be your job to train them and show them what you need them to do.

Without a process map the conversation will go something like this:

“Well I know I need your help… I am just not sure where to start”

With a process map the conversation will sound much different:

“Here is the way things have been done up till now, and these are the things that I need you to look after”

As you can see by this example, you will have a clear vision on how someone can help you and you won’t waste any time when it comes to deciding what you need help with.

Let me give you yet another scenario. If you have a task that you only perform monthly, or quarterly you probably forget how to do it every time that you sit down to get the job done. This happens to all of us at one time or another. Once you map out the steps to getting the task done, you will not have to waste time figuring out how to do it next time you have to get it done.

I hope that you now see how a process map can help you regardless of the size of your business.

Okay so now what?

You know it is important and you believe you need to start building the process maps for your business, but where do you start?

I suggest getting a binder with some loose-leaf paper and some dividers. This will be a work in progress so don’t get discouraged if at first it doesn’t look the way you would like it to.

You may choose to group together all your daily, weekly, monthly etc tasks together or perhaps you want to group the type of work such as accounting, marketing etc. What ever you choose it will be fine just remember that you can change it later.

Once you start working on something for the business make sure you document it as you go. Yes this might make the task go a little slower while you are writing and working, but it will only be the first time for every different task and then you won’t have to do it again unless the process changes.

Now what is important to put in a process map,
and how should it look?

Some people like to use a visual technique such as a flow chart – it is laid out in such a way that “if” this happens “then” do this

Another way to do it is simply create a description of the task in bullet form or in paragraph form. None of these options are wrong, just use the method that makes the most sense to you. The main idea is to  have not only the steps it takes to complete the task, but also any software or supplies that you need to complete, as well as any passwords or websites that you need to visit.

If I were to document creating a blog post, I would have to make sure that I included the website where I log in to create the post and include the username and password as well as all the different things I needed to click on to create the post. Then I would include how I structure the title and the content and where I get the images from which sometimes need a website and a username and password. The list would continue from there.

So now you might be thinking that it made sense when I first started talking about it and now you are starting to wonder again if this in fact is just a waste of time. Remember that you will never be as small as you are right now, your business will continue to grow and you need to start performing as if you have 1,000 employees who all need job descriptions with clear roles and responsibilities. If you keep playing small time business then the universe will keep offering you small time opportunities.

I would love to hear more about your process mapping and discuss any questions you have about the subject as well. Leave your comments below and we can work together through it.