I was poking around my client Stephen’s web site the other day. We just began working together and he had asked for my opinion of the site and its content.

Before long, I found my way to the Contact page. There was a form for visitors to get in touch, so I filled it in with my own info to see what would happen.

I pushed “submit” and up popped a screen with this message: “Thank you for using InstaForm Plug-in for WordPress.” Uh oh. Clearly this was a default message that should have been customized but never was.

Wait. It gets better.

A few minutes later, I received an automated “welcome message” email, one that looked like it was generated by a computer from the ’80s (courier type font). Among other things, the email said, “Thank you for contacting us. A representative will be in touch with you shortly.”

A representative, you say? Odd, since Stephen works alone (and always has). You get the picture.

Fortunately, these were easy problems to fix. But the experience highlighted a bigger problem I often come across when reviewing systems and processes of small businesses: Somebody has set something up … but nobody has ever tested it!

The moral of the story? Look at every aspect of your business from an outsider’s point of view and make sure everything functions as expected.

Here are a few places to check to get you started:

1. Your voicemail messages. When someone calls your voicemail, do they get an automated message repeating your phone number? Do they get a message that sounds flat and dry? Are they asked to “leave a message at the beep,” as if anybody in 2016 still isn’t sure how to use voicemail?

Or, instead, do they hear your happy self, asking them to leave a message and telling them you’ll get back to them. (Easy trick: Stand up and smile when you record your voicemail greeting message!)

2. Your newsletter sign-up process. How easy is it to fill in the form? How many questions do you ask (the fewer the better)? What happens after you hit the submit button? Is an email confirmation sent? What does it say and how does it look?

In short, how can you use this as an opportunity to stand out and make a great first impression?

3. Your shopping cart. Do you have things for sale on your site? Here as well, test it by buying some things and seeing what happens. Make sure the coupon codes work. See how easy (or confusing) it is to check out and complete a purchase.

Remember, fixing problems when they occur is important. But unless you are testing your processes and systems on an ongoing basis, you may never know that anything is broken! Little things matter – especially when you are a small business – make sure everything is ship shape.

When meeting new clients, there’s one question I hear over and over: “How can I take my business to the next level?” Some even ask if there is some kind of checklist or template they can use in making this happen.

Unfortunately, there is no universal set of tactics that are suited for every business. However, there are a few things that every business needs to have right away (a business banking account; a way to track income and expenses; a dedicated place to work, etc.) Once those are in place, I always recommend that each business owner make their own checklist of “best next steps” and set off to tackle them one by one.

Here’s where I recommend you start: Consider the problems first (and be honest about what it will take to fix them).

I know, this may seem a bit backwards. After all, the business blogs and magazines tend to focus on tools and tactics that are intended to grow and improve operations or profitability. In my experience, though, until you fix the “messes,” you’re spending time and money in the wrong place.

Problems Slow You Down

As your business grows, your messes will grow right along with it, if you don’t fix them, When that happens, you’ll be drowning in new work but unable to do a good job since you’ll be beyond the point where ad hoc fixes and systems can support you.

Here are some examples of messes that escalate as your business grows:

1. Your email inbox. If you’re having trouble keeping up with your inbox now, think about what happens when you reach your dream and your business doubles or triples in size. The volume of email will double or triple, too.

So take the time now and figure out a system to manage your inbox. Check out how I take care of this here.

2. Your contact list. You have business cards piled all over your desk, a gmail account, a business email address, and a ton of LinkedIn and Facebook contacts. Right now, you can kind of, sort of, remember where to go to find a given contact.

But as you grow, particularly if you add stuff, it will be too much to keep in your head. When you want to announce a new web site, promote a webinar or even just send a holiday card, it will be a huge chore.

The solution is to keep all your contacts in one place. I use Contactually (this is my affiliate link) and recommend it to all my clients.

3. Your finances. Whether you offer a service or a product, it’s important to know whether or not you’re making money. When a business is just starting out, you might have more time than money and not be too worried about profitability.

But here too, as you get busier, you’ll want to make sure that you’re not losing money on some (or all?) of your efforts. So either take the time to figure this out or find yourself a capable financial resource who can come in and sort things out for you.

Messes are as individual as the person who made them – but they’re all fixable. Make a list of all your messes and prioritize them according to how much time (and money) they are wasting and how much they’re holding you back.

Then either hire someone to help you handle them or make a list of actionable steps to get them under control. Get rid of them one by one so you can be bigger, more efficient, work less and make more money (yay)!