Most business owners understand the need for better systems and processes in their business. I’ve met many entrepreneurs who have told me they need better systemization.

The problem is that knowing you have a problem and fixing the problem are two separate facets. Just because you are aware of the problem, doesn’t mean you know how to take the steps to fix the problem.

Many people know they need to exercise more but they can’t seem to build the right habits to consistently work out. They know they need to save more money but instead resort to debt to fund what they want now.

It is the same with the business owner. They know what they need to do but can’t seem to muster enough time, energy, and focus to get it done.

All businesses, from early-stage startups to mature lifestyle companies, benefit from business system improvement. These businesses all need the right systems to improve and grow. They even need better systems to remain competitive and keep the doors open. They can’t rely on doing it the way always have, or even worse, winging it.

Here are several strategies for incorporating business system improvement in your business. These can help you build the right structure to keep improving the systems and processes as you continue to reap the rewards.

First, learn to see your business as a series of systems. This means that everything you do should be viewed as a system. There are no one-offs. EVERYTHING is a system.

If you do something more than once, have a written process for it. This doesn’t mean that you must have a 200-page manual to cut payroll. It means you have the steps written out so you can do it the same way each week.

As you do, you will find something that you missed. Great, add that into the process. Then the next time you run payroll you will incorporate that step. But not just the next time. Every time going forward you will remember that step because you put it in your process, and you follow your process each time you need to do it.

You can do the same thing when you find a better way to do something. As you discover those better options, put them in the system so that you now use that better approach every time.

When I work with a business to systematize their operations, I always say that if you do something more than once, it should be a written and followed process. Maybe it is just a checklist of items. Maybe it is longer and has screenshots and numerous contingencies. But if you do it a second time and didn’t document it the first time, you made a costly mistake.

Second, don’t get caught up in trying to make it too complex. Simple systems are better than complex ones. They are easier to follow. They are less mistake prone. Training others to follow the process is easy when the process is simple.

Sometimes entrepreneurs struggle because they immediately want a long, formal manual that includes excruciating detail. But then nobody follows it. A simple list of the steps for each task would be better.

Third, don’t let busy get in the way. Saying you are too busy is common. But the systems will save you time in the future. Skip that because you are too busy today, then you will be too busy tomorrow. Next week, next month, next year will follow the same pattern. You will be too busy.

Find a way to carve out enough time to create a simple system and document it. If you do, you create time savings tomorrow. Then, tomorrow you can work on improving the system. As you do, more time savings will follow.

Eventually, you will find that the systems run the business. Instead of getting caught working in the business, you can start to work on the business. You can create better strategies. You can determine ways to grow. You can open new locations and hire more people, using the systems to know that the business will remain consistent.

Business system improvement gets overlooked but it shouldn’t. It should be one of the top responsibilities of the business owner. Everything should be looked at as a system, as a process.

Everything should be systematized so that you can scale the business as demand increases. Systems help maintain consistent quality. Systems help train others to take over the tasks to free up your time. Systems are how you maintain control and still improve over time.

Follow these three steps to develop business system improvement in your company. The benefits are immense and give you the tools to create the control you need over the business and the consistent high quality that comes with your full attention.