Take your average plumber. He is selling his skills - certainly not a system. The plumber loves to plumb - he hates administration. But we still expect him to return our calls, to keep appointments and to provide us with accurate invoices.

So plumber has a choice. He can forget to return calls, turn up late and get increasingly bogged down in paperwork (both of which happen all too often). Or he can put in place a basic time management and bookkeeping system.

Either way he'll still be a good plumber, but system will provide him with more, happier customers and greater peace-of-mind.

What your plumber can't systemise is art of plumbing. His experience and his apparently innate ability to diagnose a problem: these can only be passed on properly over time. Becoming plumbing equivalent of Ronald McDonald is unrealistic.

Somewhere between McDonald's and your plumber lie most other businesses. Systems have a place in every business - it is simply a matter of degree. But we need to make a conscious effort to identify those parts of our business that can be 'systemised'.

In long run, we will be rewarded with a simpler business and happier customers.

© David Brewster, January 2002

4. Thursday is sorting day. Go through all those business cards and small pieces of paper which have accumulated throughout week. Put them where they belong. Also put away any reference materials you've been using.

5. Have fun filing on Fridays. End your week by cleaning up all paper lying around your office. Purge your files. Have a mean and clean filing system which you can actually use.

Then have a wonderful weekend.