Level 12 · Part 2
Systems and people
Write down how things are done, share the work, and treat people fairly.
A small business often runs in the owner's head. To grow, the way of working needs to be written, shared and trained, so quality and fairness do not depend on one person.
- Write short, clear steps for the jobs that matter: making, packing, storing, delivering, selling, recording.
- Use the checklists and batch records from earlier levels as your first system.
- Decide who is responsible for each job and who covers when they are away.
- Train people by showing, practising and checking, and explain why each step matters, especially for hygiene and safety.
- Keep simple records of money, stock and customers so you can see how the business is doing.
- Hold a short regular meeting to review what went well, what went wrong and what changes next.
Treat people fairly
Workers, family helpers and partners should know the pay, hours, tasks and safety rules. Employment and safety rules, including for young people, depend on your country. Check them with the relevant authority. Never use child labour.
Partners and groups
If you share the business with partners or a group, agree in writing how decisions are made, how profit is shared and what happens if someone leaves (Level 9).
Exercise 12.2 · Write my first system
- Choose the job that goes wrong most often.
- Write it as five to eight short steps that a new person could follow.
- Ask someone to follow it and note where they got stuck, then improve it.
Background reading for this part:
- Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) — International Labour Organization (ILO)