Five signs your business has outgrown spreadsheets

Spreadsheets are not the problem

Almost every growing business runs on spreadsheets at some point, and for good reason: they are flexible, everyone knows how to use them and they cost nothing. The trouble starts when the business grows and the spreadsheet doesn’t. Here are the five signs we see most often.

1. Nobody is sure which version is right

There is a “Jobs FINAL” file, a “Jobs FINAL v2” and a copy on someone’s laptop. Before anyone can answer a customer, they have to check which one is up to date. When the truth lives in several places, mistakes are only a matter of time.

2. Information lives in people’s heads and WhatsApp

The spreadsheet says a job is booked, but the details are in a WhatsApp thread, the photos are on someone’s phone and the access code is on a sticky note. When that person is off sick, everything slows down.

3. Chasing takes longer than doing

Someone spends hours each week chasing unpaid invoices, reminding customers about appointments and asking colleagues for updates. All of that can happen automatically in a proper system: reminders sent on time, payments matched to the right job and a dashboard showing what’s outstanding.

4. You can’t see how the business is doing

Simple questions such as “How many jobs did we finish this month?” or “Which customers owe us money?” take an afternoon of copying and pasting to answer. A system built around your work answers them on one screen, live.

5. Things break when you grow

A new member of staff needs a long explanation of how the spreadsheets work. Formulas break, rows get deleted and #REF! errors appear at the worst moment. Spreadsheets also have no proper logins, so everyone can see and change everything.

How to make the switch without disruption

Moving to one system doesn’t mean throwing everything out on a Monday morning. The changeover that works best looks like this:

• Map how you work today. Start with what your team actually does each day, not with software features.
• Design it first. See and approve the screens before anything is built, so there are no surprises.
• Import your data. Your existing spreadsheets are cleaned up and brought across, so you start with your full history.
• Train the team. A short session for each role, and help on hand in the first few weeks.

If two or more of the signs above sound familiar, it is probably time. Our business systems start at £4,995 at a fixed price, and they are usually live in about 5 to 8 weeks. Book a free 10-minute call and we will tell you honestly whether you need a bespoke system or a simpler tool.