Many businesses that have grown from very small operations have also grown their systems organically. A free tool here, and small subscription on the credit card there. Maybe even a couple of serious investments, but never stopped to take a proper look. This has been the case for almost all my clients over the past few years. Eventually they get to a sticking point, noticing one or more of these signs.

1. **The team spend a lot of time copying information around.** When an order comes in, it gets copied out of the email and into the fulfilment system. And then to the product ordering system. And then to the invoicing system.

**Everyone (especially customer support) has 3 systems open to see the full picture.** When a customer calls, you are searching emails, checking the accounts and project management system to try and work out what is going on.

**You start to be terrified about what will happen when Alex leaves (or even goes on holidays!).** Because Alex is the only one who can sort things out when something has gone wrong on the web page and no one can buy anything.

**Things are so complicated, you worry that you can’t grow your business anymore.** It can start to seem like 10% more business is going to need double the staff because the lists and processes are getting too complicated to manage as more items get added.

**You hear about a ridiculous price increase from one of your software suppliers, and you don’t know where to begin.** Is it worth it anymore? And if you wanted to change, what would you even need to do?

 

It is tempting to just chase after the one problem system that gave you grief today (or is putting up their price tomorrow). But that won’t get to the heart of the problem: how to plan your whole technology architecture so that it makes sense, is affordable, and will support your business today, and for where you want to be in the future.

It does take a little bit of thinking and planning, and getting help with this might seem like the sort of thing that bigger companies do. But the first reset is often the hardest, but also the most impactful. It can take your business from plodding forward to having a real engine for growth.

If a few of these are hitting home, I’d love to hear what’s going on for you.