Foundational Processes

Processes are very important to a small business' success. They guide how the flow of the business works by identifying what the task is, who will own the task, how it will be measured, when and where it will be completed, and why the task is being completed.

There are various types of processes that are related to the foundational, core areas of small businesses - such as running a business, marketing, retention, staffing, and culture.. With any category, processes must be specific. Here are a few examples of processes within the Marketing and Business foundational categories:

Marketing - To increase sales opportunities and improve follow-up:

On Tuesdays at 1 pm, Veronica, the office manager, runs a program to run mailers to prospects downloaded from a database within the agency. Then, she uploads the lead list into the lead tool for follow-up by the sales people. The lead tool includes a follow-up work flow to remind sales people when to try the lead again. Phone calls and activity logs are reviewed by the office manager and the small business owner on Fridays to identify opportunities and then are reviewed with the team member during the one-on-one meeting on Mondays.

Business - To ensure employees are paid on time:

On Thursdays at 2 pm, payroll is entered into QuickBooks (utilizing online time cards) by Susan, the small business owner, and then checks are printed by Cathy, her admin assistant at 3 pm and placed in the safe so that Susan can review and then give those out on Friday.