Business Systems

Run everything in your business like a business - think critically, track, measure, and report everything, especially people and management processes

Eben defines running like a business as taking it seriously, thinking critically, tracking, measuring, and reporting all

Most business owners become technicians with jobs, not entrepreneurs with systems - the poodle clipper opens a poodle clipping business but just creates a job for themselves

Michael Gerber's E-Myth research showed most people starting businesses are technicians who know how to do the work, not

Work ON your business, not just IN your business to create systems rather than jobs

Michael Gerber's E-Myth principle distinguishes between working as a technician inside the business versus working as an

Virtual businesses can actually provide better visibility into employee performance through objective tracking systems rather than physical presence monitoring

Eben discovered that 'when people are working virtually, they can't come in and pretend to be doing a lot of busy work'

Demand fixed budgets from professional service firms and be a bulldog about cost estimates

Pagan instructs to tell firms 'unless you can project how much it's going to cost then we probably can't do business' an

Avoid premature trademarking and legal protection unless you have a proven blockbuster idea

Pagan questions spending '$27,000 and three months of your time' on trademarking 'unless you've come up with a name or a

Script the customer journey timeline by mapping out exactly when customers will need each subsequent product after their initial purchase

Example given of $37 golf starter product with 14-day improvement timeline, followed by 30-60 day progression to next le

Create specific timeframes for customer progression rather than leaving advancement to chance - predict when they'll be ready for the next level

Specific example: 'within 14 days you're going to have dramatic improvements in your golf game... by day 30 you're going

Structure virtual teams using 90-day cycles as the optimal planning timeframe because business changes too fast for longer planning periods

Eben's 80-person virtual company operates on 90-day chunks, matching Corporate America's quarterly system. He states the

Business scaling requires building franchise-prototype systems with SOPs, metrics, and training processes so others can replicate your work

Reference to Michael Gerber's E-Myth about technicians vs entrepreneurs. Eben's current team of 10-12 people who are bet

Why do most businesses fail to make money

Most entrepreneurs focus on setup activities like creating websites and business systems instead of the money-making activities of product development and marketing. They get distracted by tasks that feel important but don't generate revenue.

From: The Top Money Making Activities In Business

How do I protect my successful business systems from being damaged

Create controls requiring approval before anyone changes customer-facing copy or critical processes. Make sure your entire team knows which systems are essential money-makers that shouldn't be modified without careful consideration.

From: What To Focus On To Develop Your Business

How do I hire and retain top talent for virtual teams?

Focuses specifically on virtual team building and remote talent management strategies.

How do I systematize my business operations for consistent growth?

Provides advanced systematization strategies for businesses ready to scale beyond founder dependence.

How do I scale my business beyond trading time for money?

Addresses both digital product creation and operational systematization for true scalability.

What's the best approach to building long-term financial security?

Provides systematic wealth-building frameworks focused on value creation and long-term thinking.