How to create a scalable service

At the core of any valuable business is a scalable service or product. It’s also the biggest hurdle to building a sellable asset due to your role in delivering your service or product to your clients.

Understandably, you built your business on your experience and expertise. Initially, you likely were the only one serving your clients, so this worked well and allowed you to shape the offering to distinguish yourself from the competition - either through the service you provide or how you deliver it.

So, before you wake up one morning to realise you have built yourself a job - not a business - take that first step and start with the one process that has the most significant impact (for you and your clients): 

Your signature service.

You have a unique gift - a one-off mix of experience and qualifications - making a massive difference for your clients.

That’s always going to be difficult to standardise or scale. Difficult, but not impossible.

Once you have translated your unique way of helping your clients into a process, the sky is the limit.

What to put in place to make sure your service is scalable

Below is a list of characteristics of a scalable service and some prompts that will help you start thinking about steps to make your offering more valuable.

Does your offer include the [insert your name]-factor?

Your unique experience, talent and qualifications have shaped your signature offer and mean you achieve the most outstanding results for your ideal client.

You may struggle to put your finger on it, but you’ll need to figure out what that [insert your name]-factor is to create a service that is unique AND scalable.

Consider the below examples of what makes your offer different to others:

• You are taking something from one industry and applying it to another. 

• You work backwards or complete steps in a different order than others in your industry, achieving results more quickly.

• You offer done-for-you in a niche where everyone has pivoted to courses and memberships.

If you aren’t clear on this yet, list three things you do differently to start the brainstorming process.

Don’t worry if you’re struggling to nail this down right now. Sit with it. List out your experience and qualifications that are influencing your work. Survey your clients. Ask your business besties.

Don’t stop and procrastinate—progress over perfection. 

Can you translate your service into a simple, logical and repeatable process?

When working with a client, you follow the same steps every time. You look to achieve similar outcomes at different stages of the client journey and have designed activities to help achieve those outcomes.

Mapping this out is often the most complex and challenging step on the route to scaling, and I know you’ll likely procrastinate. 

BUT peel back one layer of ‘the onion’ at a time. Use a spreadsheet, mind map on a whiteboard or a million sticky notes in 9 different pastel colours. Figure out what works for you.

The WHAT

• List out each of the steps that you run through with your clients.

Keep it high-level to start with and then break it down more and more over time. You can name each of the steps (if this helps).

For example, I called the first step of my process ‘Download’ as I’m asking my clients to share all existing processes, procedures, checklists, etc., with me so that I can get a better understanding of what we are working with.

• Describe what happens in each step.

Add a short description of what happens in each step and why it is crucial. This is for two reasons: (1) you want to help ensure an understanding, but (2) you also want to make sure the step has a clear purpose in the end-to-end process. You don’t want to do something just because you have always done it (we want every step of the process to translate into progress).

• Define input and output for each step.

Consider the information, resources or collateral you need to do the work and what result you’re aiming for. Input examples could be existing processes, artwork, logos, intake questionnaires, etc. Possible outputs could be a recommendation for the next steps, an agreed mood board, or a treatment plan.

Remember that some of these outcomes only happen in your head (e.g. coming up with a plan to cover in subsequent sessions), so you need to consider how to formalise these.

The HOW

• Confirm the method of delivery.

This is easy so I won’t go into much detail. It’s either Done-For-You, Done-With-you or Do-It-Yourself.

• List out the resources that are required for each step of the process.

This could be guidelines, questionnaires, templates, workbooks, or video lessons - whatever you think is necessary or helpful, regardless of whether it exists today.

The WHO

• Specify the responsibilities of anyone involved in the process.

You want to get specific on what the client has to do, what you (or your team) do and the responsibilities of any third parties involved (e.g. the website developer if you’re working on a rebrand with them). This will help manage expectations and create an action plan that you can turn into a template project plan for your team (and even your client).

Can you remove yourself from the equation?

Of course, it’s great identifying how your offer is unique and different. And it’s a game-changer to map out the end-to-end process and dive into the detail of how the service is delivered.

BUT that doesn’t yet mean anyone other than you can deliver it.

Unless you do the work and create the resources you listed as part of the process and make them accessible, this doesn’t mean you can remove yourself from the equation.

Think of this as a recipe: The first time you cook a new dish, you will check the recipe repeatedly. Read every step twice to make sure you get it right. By the time you cook it for the 10th time, you will only double-check the ingredients list to ensure you have enough eggs in the house but do the rest from memory. It’s the same with a process. 

Is it teachable?

Lastly, you must ensure you can teach what you do - which will be much easier once you have the process mapped out and the resources created.

You want to be clear on what qualifications they need to have to be able to work with you or deliver your service, e.g. they are a qualified psychologist or know how to code in Javascript to be able to follow your process. Don’t think you have to teach them EVERYTHING!

Again, be very clear on expectations. What you can and will teach them, but what won’t be included. This goes for future employees and third parties, such as licencees or franchisees.

Start by listing out some of the prerequisites to help you find the right team members in the future.

This list can seem quite daunting when you’re in the thick of it, but I promise you you can turn your offer into a scalable model. However, you’ll have to be willing to let go of some control, which is a mindset issue rather than a process one.

And if you get stuck, we’re here to help. Just drop us a message!