If your business is stuck, it’s not always about effort—it’s usually about systems.
By ShaChena Gibbs
When I started out, I thought the key to business growth was visibility. More marketing, more networking, more sales calls. But all that energy didn’t produce consistent growth because behind the scenes, my business was running off memory and Post-it Notes.
Here’s the truth most entrepreneurs learn the hard way: you can’t scale chaos.
If you’re a woman CEO building from scratch or trying to grow what you’ve started, structure has to come before strategy. And I don’t mean fancy systems—I mean the basics:
- What’s your core offer, and how is it delivered?
- How are new leads followed up with?
- What happens when someone says yes to your service?
If those answers live only in your head, your business is not yet ready to grow.
It wasn’t until I documented my processes—onboarding, delivery, payments, and follow-up — that things started to click. I could bring in help. I could step away for a day without stress. I could finally grow on purpose.
Here’s what I want you to walk away with:
Don’t confuse busy with building. Every hour spent documenting your systems now will save you weeks of cleanup later. Write down how your business runs. Build your “how we do things here” playbook.
The strongest businesses don’t depend on memory—they run on process. And process leads to peace. You can easily get started with ChatGPT as your personal assistant.
—
Meet ShaChena Gibbs, CEO and Founder of the Real Sisters Rising Women Business Association. She is an award-winning entrepreneur and educator with over a decade of experience helping home-based and growing businesses overcome challenges and scale with strategy. Learn more at www.realsistersrising.com.