A Simple Framework for Creating Small Business Systems That Work

You don’t need a complex Business Process Management overhaul.

You need a simple framework designed for the realities of a growing, visionary-led company.

Your business is growing, which is fantastic. But the “do-what-it-takes” hustle that got you here is starting to crack. Key information lives in people’s heads, processes are inconsistent, and you have that nagging feeling that you’re constantly reinventing the wheel.

You know you need “systems.” But the official term, Business Process Management, can feel intimidating, corporate, and overwhelming—especially for a lean, fast-moving team.

You don’t need a 100-page operational manual. You need to start with what I call Minimum Viable Systems (MVS), the simplest possible version of a process that can be documented and delegated to solve a recurring problem. It can always be improved later – and it will be.

This article will give you a simple, ADHD-friendly framework to identify and build the systems that will have the biggest impact on your company’s focus and your own sanity.

The Real Cost of “Flying Blind”

Before we build, let’s get honest about the cost of not having systems. It’s not just a little inefficiency; it’s a hard cap on your growth.

According to a foundational report by McKinsey Global Institute, the average employee spends nearly 2 hours every day – 9.3 hours a week, to be precise, or more than an entire workday – just searching for and gathering information. Put another way, for every five employees your team has, one spends the entire week searching instead of contributing. Imagine giving that time back to your team – or yourself.

Clear, documented systems turn wasted search time into productive work time. Without them, you’re not just “flying blind” and creating a culture of frustration and burnout.

The Real Power of a Simple Business System

Building systems can feel like a “nice-to-have” when you’re busy fighting fires. But the truth is, a lack of clear processes is the root cause of most of those fires. The benefits of systematizing your business go far beyond just saving a little time; they fundamentally change how you and your team operate.

Here’s what happens when you start building even the simplest of systems:

• You Get to Work ON the Business, Not Just IN It. Globally, the average office worker spends the equivalent of 69 days per year on administrative tasks instead of their primary job duties. Imagine what you could accomplish with two extra months of strategic thinking time each year. That’s what systems give you back.
• You Stop Wasting Money on Wasted Time. Lost productivity is a massive hidden cost. When processes are unclear, your team spends hours searching for information, redoing incorrect work, and asking repetitive questions. The right systems plug these leaks, reducing your operational drag and allowing you to invest your resources in actual growth.
• You Build a Reputation for Reliability. When you automate or streamline repetitive tasks, your team can respond to customers faster and deliver work more consistently. You stop being a company that tries to be reliable and become one that is reliable by design.
• You Escape the Burnout Cycle. Burnout often happens when the effort you’re putting in doesn’t match the results you’re seeing. It’s a feeling of running in place. Systems create leverage, allowing you to make significant progress without having to burn the candle at both ends. They are the ultimate tool for sustainable leadership.
• You Empower a Lean, Mighty Team. In a growing business, you need to do more with less. Systems empower a smaller team to punch far above their weight. By automating the mundane and documenting the important, you free up your team’s creative energy to focus on high-impact work.
• You Scale Your Business with Confidence. Most leaders I know dream of scaling their business. But you can’t scale chaos. Systems are what make growth predictable and profitable. They are what allow you to spend more time being the strategic anchor your company needs, confidently guiding the ship instead of constantly bailing water.

How to Get Started: The 4 Core Small Business Systems to Set Your PACE

When many business experts talk about “systems,” they make it sound complex, boring, and full of red tape. It conjures images of 20-page flowcharts and diagrams that feel completely out of touch with the reality of a fast-moving, visionary-led company.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. A powerful system isn’t about bureaucracy; it’s about clarity. It CAN be easy. The goal is to create the simplest possible process that solves a real problem and empowers your team. To help you do this, I’ve developed a simple framework I call PACE.

Plan: Your Execution System

The Problem it Solves: The constant, nagging questions of "Who is working on what?" and "Did that thing I asked for get done?" that lead to duplicated work and dropped balls.

The MVS Solution: An execution system isn't a complex Gantt chart; it's a single, central source of truth for all active projects. For an ADHD-wired team, this is non-negotiable. If a task isn't in the system, it doesn't exist. This principle of "out of sight, out of mind" means your execution system must be visual, simple, and consistently used.

Start with a basic board in a tool your team already uses, like Asana, Trello, Motion or even a shared spreadsheet. 

Create four simple columns: "To Do," "Doing," "For Review," and "Done." Every single project and major task must live here, with a clear owner and due date. The goal isn’t to micromanage, but to create universal visibility, which is the foundation of accountability.

Assess: Your Data System

The Problem it Solves: "Everyone feels incredibly busy, but I don't know if we're actually winning."

The MVS Solution: A simple KPI (Key Performance Indicator) Scorecard that tracks the "First 5" most important metrics for your business. I know this sounds intimidating, but the key is to focus on leading indicators (which predict future success) rather than just lagging ones (which report past results). For example, instead of only tracking "Monthly Revenue" (lagging), you would also track "Weekly Sales Calls Booked" (leading).

However, for this to work, you must ruthlessly distinguish between actionable metrics and vanity metrics.

Vanity metrics are the numbers that look impressive on the surface but don't actually correlate to the health or growth of your business. They are the "shiny objects" of the data world. For a leader with an ADHD-wired brain, they can be particularly seductive because they provide a quick, satisfying dopamine hit. Seeing a huge spike in website visitors or getting a thousand likes on a social media post feels good. It feels like progress, but it often isn’t. 

But you have to ask the crucial question: "So what?"

• We got 10,000 website visitors. So what? How many of them signed up for a demo?
• Our LinkedIn post got 1,000 likes. So what? How many of those likes converted into actual customers?

The "So What?" test helps you identify the true leading indicators of your company's health. Your KPI Scorecard shouldn't be filled with vanity metrics that stroke your ego; it should be filled with the 5-7 numbers that tell you the unvarnished truth about whether you are winning or losing. This isn't about judgment; it's about clarity.

Communicate: Your Team System (The "Pulse")

The Problem it Solves: A culture of constant interruptions and dings, too many unnecessary meetings, and the dreaded "I didn't know that was happening" syndrome.

The MVS Solution: A documented, predictable communication rhythm. This frees up mental energy because no one has to guess how or when information will be shared. A great starting rhythm includes:

1. A Daily Huddle (15 mins): A quick, standing meeting for tactical updates. Each person shares their top priority for the day and any roadblocks. That's it. It keeps the team in sync without derailing the day.
2. A Weekly Leadership Sync (90 mins): Your sacred, recurring meeting to solve bigger, strategic issues. This is where you review your Scorecard and work through major obstacles. (You can learn more about how to structure this in my post on effective leadership meetings, next week).
3. An End-of-Week Update: A simple asynchronous update (via email or a dedicated Slack channel) where each team member shares their "Wins," "Challenges," and "Focus for Next Week."

Evolve: Your Idea System (The "Launchpad")

The Problem it Solves: The "Idea Tornado" from a visionary CEO and the "Shiny Object Syndrome" that pulls the team in a dozen different directions, killing momentum.

The MVS Solution: The Idea Dock. This is a dedicated, respected place to dock all new ideas, suggestions, and opportunities that are not part of the current 90-day plan.

This system is especially critical in an ADHD-informed environment. It honors the visionary's creative bursts by ensuring no idea is lost, while simultaneously protecting the team's focus. It turns a source of chaos into a strategic asset. By reviewing the Idea Dock during your quarterly planning, you can turn the best, most well-considered ideas into your next set of priorities. It becomes a launchpad for innovation, not a parking lot where ideas go to die.

Your First Step: How to Decide Which Small Business System to Anchor First

Looking at these four systems can feel overwhelming. So where do you start?

I remember this feeling of overwhelm at the concept of building a system and the pressure I put on myself to make it perfect [maybe a little imposter syndrome]. Hint: It won’t be perfect, and that’s ok. 

It’s tempting to start with the easiest tasks to systemize - but I would caution you from starting there. It might be better to start with what hurts the most. 

Is there a repetitive task that consistently causes issues? Did a customer complain about something? Did something get overlooked or completely forgotten? Did it cost the company money or frustrate your customers? That is your starting point. 

Anchor that one process first. Solving your most painful problem will give you the momentum and the buy-in you need to tackle the rest.

Conclusion: Systems Create Freedom

Building systems isn't about adding bureaucracy; it's about buying back time and creating the operational stability required for your company to scale. It's the work that moves you from a reactive "Fixer" to a proactive "Designer."

Start small, focus on the one system that will make the biggest difference right now, and you'll be well on your way to becoming the truly Anchored Leader your team needs.