Want your team to collaborate better and improve client work? Looking to standardize your business procedures and scale with ease? You need to do one thing: build systems in your agency. Systems help streamline your work and build a solid foundation for your agency to grow upon!
Below, we walk you through building systems in your agency, talk about which areas in your business to systematize first, share the tools we use at DaSilva Life for our systems, and more.
Systems keep everything in your agency running smoothly and soundly. With systems in place, tasks get done faster and more accurately, which means less stress and fewer mistakes. It helps your team know exactly what to do and when to do it, so everyone’s on the same page.
Without systems, you might face chaos and confusion. Tasks can fall through the cracks. Deadlines and handoffs from one team member to another might get missed. And constantly figuring out what to do and how to do it can frustrate your team. This makes it harder to grow your agency, too.
Systems ensure that everyone does their work consistently, every time. Having systems to follow will help your team members feel more confident about their roles and their workloads. Communication is easier and productivity is higher. In short, everyone is happier!
Before you dive all in and start transforming your agency, stop and think about what to streamline first. What needs improvement most? Which departments, processes, or areas are most important?
We recommend beginning with the following four areas: client journey, project management, communication, and reporting and tracking KPIs.
From the moment a prospective lead contacts you to the moment they’re finished onboarding as your new client…what happens? You need systems to streamline and strengthen the client journey so that the process is easy for you and the people you serve!
At DaSilva Life, we lean on HoneyBook for this. It’s the best tool for capturing lead info, communicating with them, and converting them. HoneyBook automations save us so much time, too.
Here’s how we’ve set up HoneyBook to respond to client inquiries, for example:
We dig deeper into our client booking workflow in this blog post, if you’re interested in seeing how we use HoneyBook more!
On the project management side of our agency, ClickUp is our MVP. There are specific features in ClickUp that make managing a team, tasks, and clients much easier.
For example, we use Lists to contain one project. All of its phases, tasks, assignees, due dates — all of it is kept in one List so that project managers can see all of it. No need to jump between platforms or hunt down information; it’s in one spot.
Another ClickUp feature we love for project management is Custom Fields. With Custom Fields, you can do things like label tasks, add dates, link to other ClickUp tasks, track progress, add websites, and tons more. Custom Field data adds context to tasks to help you filter and organize the info you need.
Wanna use Custom Fields, and other ClickUp features like Views and Dashboards, even better? Try our free Project Management Template for ClickUp!
You have options to choose from when streamlining your communication for your agency. We utilize Slack and ClickUp comments most often.
ClickUp is great for collaborating thanks to real-time chat, comments, and notifications. They keep everyone in our team on the same page, and everyone always knows where to look for answers.
We also use Slack with ClickUp thanks to Zapier. In Slack, we’ll get task reminders, new project notifications, and even URLs to ClickUp tasks we need to save us time. It’s one of our favorite and most-used integrations.
Our final area to systematize in your agency? Reporting and tracking KPIs, or key performance indicators. This is key especially when your agency scales and your goals become more specific.
For this, we use ClickUp, because its built-in features make it so easy to set and track your goals. You can also customize ClickUp trackers to include the information you want, like who on your team is responsible for a goal, its status, notes, and more.
We take it a step further by integrating ClickUp with other tools using Zapier to automate the flow of data. For example, we automatically pull sales metrics, inquiries, and bookings from platforms like our CRM and booking tools directly into ClickUp. This eliminates the need for manual data entry and ensures that our KPIs are always up-to-date in real-time. By automating these processes, we can quickly access and analyze our metrics within ClickUp, allowing us to make informed decisions and keep the entire team aligned with our business goals.
You’re ready to start building systems in your agency! Congrats! Let’s get started with the steps below.
What’s causing you the most stress in your agency? What’s disrupting your workflows or holding your team members back from getting things done? Is it client onboarding, starting a new project, or all those little admin tasks that add up?
These are the pain points to look for. Jot them down. Then, pick one specific pain point to begin with, like client onboarding.
Next, map out the entire workflow for this one process. What does it look like from start to finish? What steps are involved, and who on your team is involved?
Using our client onboarding example, you might include details like:
Now you know what your process looks like and where it needs improvement.
You’re ready to develop and document new processes that relieve those pain points and turn things around!
Go back to the workflow you just mapped out and examine each step in it. Think about the best way to complete that step in your workflow for you and your team. For example, if you need all those assets when onboarding a new client, you might consider:
Here, you can identify tasks that can be automated or delegated to a team member. In other words, you’re developing your process!
When it comes to documenting new processes, the key is clarity and accessibility for your entire team. One of the best ways to do this is by recording your standard operating procedures (SOPs) with Loom. This tool allows you to capture screenshares and create step-by-step video guides, making it easy for your team to follow along visually. Not only does this ensure consistency, but it also cuts down on time spent explaining tasks repeatedly.
For storing these documented processes and organizing them in real-time, we recommend using our free project management ClickUp template. This template allows you to store every step, assign tasks, and track progress, ensuring your team knows exactly what to do and when. With these tools, you’ll have a comprehensive, well-documented process that’s easy to access and update as your agency grows.
As an agency owner, choosing the right tools for your team is essential to creating a streamlined, efficient workflow. From my experience, it’s not just about finding popular tools; it’s about selecting ones that fit your team’s needs and ensuring they work together seamlessly.
When vetting tools, I focus on three things: ease of use, integration capabilities, and scalability. It’s crucial to choose tools that your team can adopt quickly and that will grow with your business as it scales. For example, ClickUp is our go-to project management tool because it’s highly customizable and integrates with almost everything. HoneyBook helps us streamline our client onboarding and payment processes, while Slack is our preferred communication hub for keeping conversations organized and focused.
Another key part of our tech stack is Google Drive for easy document storage and sharing. We also rely on Loom to record SOPs and create quick, clear video guides for our team. For automating repetitive tasks and moving data between our apps, Zapier and Make are vital. These tools help ensure that data flows smoothly from one platform to another without any manual effort.
By carefully choosing tools that integrate well, like ClickUp and HoneyBook via Zapier or Make, you can create a cohesive system that keeps your business running smoothly, saves time, and helps your team stay focused on what matters most.
You’ve developed and documented your new systems, but hold on. It’s time to test them and make sure they work for your agency. Here’s how to do that as smoothly as possible (and with as little pushback as possible).
Communication, communication, communication! Keep your team in the loop as you’re developing processes and implementing systems. This is key. You don’t want to shock anyone or put them off of the changes.
An entire system's makeover can lead to increased stress and issues. Instead, we recommend rolling out new changes slowly and gradually. Give you and your team time to get used to systems and make adjustments as needed.
If you want your team on board with changes, it’s up to you to show them how the new systems work and why they’ll benefit them. Set up training sessions to ensure everyone understands the new systems. Provide resources like guides, SOPs, and practice sessions, too.
Testing systems before fully implementing them in an agency is crucial to ensure they work smoothly and don’t cause unnecessary disruptions. From our experience, here are some key tips for effectively testing new systems:
1. Start with a Pilot Run: Before rolling out the system to the entire team, test it with a smaller group or a single project. This allows you to identify any issues or bottlenecks without overwhelming your team. Make sure to gather feedback from those involved in the pilot to address pain points early on.
2. Check for Integration Issues: Ensure that all tools in the system communicate properly. For instance, if you’re using ClickUp for project management, HoneyBook for client onboarding, and Zapier or Make for automation, test how data flows between these tools. Are tasks being created automatically? Is client information updating in real-time? This step is crucial for avoiding breakdowns later.
3. Establish Clear KPIs: Define what success looks like during the testing phase. Whether it’s saving time on manual tasks or improving team collaboration, having clear metrics will help you evaluate if the system is working as expected.
4. Allow Time for Adjustment: Give your team enough time to learn and adjust to the new system. Typically, it’s best to test for about 4-6 weeks before making any major changes. This provides enough time for bugs to surface and for your team to get comfortable with the new workflow. However, if the system is causing major issues from the start, don’t hesitate to make quick adjustments.
5. Regular Check-ins: During the testing phase, hold regular team check-ins to get feedback. Are people using the system as intended? Are there workarounds happening that signal inefficiency? Regular reviews will help identify what’s working and what needs improvement.
By following these steps, you can ensure your new system is solid before fully implementing it. Be patient and willing to tweak as needed, but also give it enough time to show its full potential. If after several weeks it’s not hitting your KPIs, it’s time to reassess, refine, or even start fresh with a new approach.
“Systems are the floor and not the ceiling.” I heard that recently and it stuck in my head, because it’s so true. Systems are not a one-and-done procedure. You’re in it for the long haul!
Schedule regular reviews of your systems and processes. Encourage feedback from your team. Make sure your agency knows that their feedback is necessary to make systems better! Always be open to evolving and improving your systems.
Building systems into your agency, especially with valuable tools like ClickUp and HoneyBook, is a game-changer for efficiency and growth. Focus on key areas in your agency first, like your client journey, communication, project management, and KPIs. It’s much easier to pinpoint issues and create new systems for your processes that way.
When you’re ready to implement your shiny new systems, take it slow! Make sure everyone in your agency is trained, prepared, and in the loop as you roll them out. Encourage feedback and ideas for continuous improvement, too. With the right systems in place, you’re on the way to a more productive and organized team that’s ready to grow.
You can totally DIY systematizing your agency, but if you want to speed things up or let the experts handle it, let us know!
As certified HoneyBook Pros and ClickUp experts, we can fully set up your account, customize workflows and assets, train your team, and support you after launch. Reach out to us today and we’ll help you find solutions that suit your needs!
