planning for freedom

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M A R I A N N E P A G E | B R I G H T 7 | T H E M C F R E E D O M SYSTEM™

P l a n n i n g f o r F r e e d o m

ou can look at society’s ever increasing need to consume their

food fast; you can talk about how much kids love their Happy

Meals; you can even put it down to the fact that they are a very

affordable choice when times are tough.

But the truth is that McDonald’s success is based on a very simple

formula…they develop systems to run every aspect of their business, and

they train people to run those systems.

SO WHY DON’T MORE BUSINESSES COPY THEIR MODEL?

Why do so many businesses end up with a Wacky Races operation where

everyone is going in roughly the same direction, but in their own way and

at their own speed…when what they set out to be was a Formula 1

operation - a high performing team where everyone knows exactly what

they are doing, how it fits into the bigger picture, and that they are

responsible for doing it to a high standard?

A Formula 1 operation needs a strong platform of process and systems.

The sort of operation that McDonald’s has built their success on.

Y

There’s a reason why McDonald’s are so successful...

why they have grown from one small business in the

backwaters of I l l inois, to 35,000 small businesses…

and counting, around the globe.

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HOW DO YOU STACK UP AGAINST THEM?

Is your business simple and straightforward?

Are you consistent and reliable?

Do you have systems, and if so are they simple, logical and repeatable?

Can you leave your team to get on and run the business for you when

you’re not there?

Would your team, and your customers agree with your answers to

these questions? :o)

Over the past 30 years I’ve worked with many small business owners, who

all have one thing in common…the desire for an easier life.

Not a lazy life…just an easier life.

A life where they have more freedom…where they’re not working 70 hour

weeks, where they’re not always checking up on someone, where they

have no guilt because their life is in balance and they spend lots of quality

time with their family and friends.

WOULDN’T YOU WELCOME THAT SORT OF LIFE?

A life where you’re no longer needed in your business for it to run

smoothly…where you have financial freedom, and also the time freedom

to pursue other goals.

I worked with McDonald’s for most of my adult life, and I learned that the

only way to achieve the freedom you’re looking for, is to have effective

systems running your business… and good people… (even if that’s only

you at the moment) running your systems.

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THE MCFREEDOM SYSTEM™ IS YOUR ROADMAP TO THAT

TIME AND FINANCIAL FREEDOM.

In creating my system, I’ve taken the McDonald’s model, adapted it, and

made it accessible to every business owner who is ready to replace

themselves…and enjoy the growth and freedom that come with that.

Through these pages, I’m going to share that system with you and

introduce you to the first 3 Steps you need to take, to achieve the life

you’re looking for.

THE MCFREEDOM ROADMAP

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I pretty much grew up at McDonald’s, where I

enjoyed a richly varied and successful career in

a business that teaches you, amongst many

other useful skills, how to make yourself

completely replaceable.

It was during my years with McDonald’s that I

learned how to develop logical, repeatable

systems, how to root out inefficiency and duplication, and keep my

functional area of the business running like a well-oiled machine.

I learned the importance of engaging and developing my team to work

the systems effectively, while keeping everyone focused on the customer

and the need for continuous improvement.

I LEARNED THAT SYSTEMS RUN THE BUSINESS; PEOPLE

RUN THE SYSTEMS.

I ’m Marianne Page, the creator of Bright7 and The

McFreedom System, and author of Process to Profit - the

book hailed as ‘better than the E Myth’!

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THAT’S THE FOUNDATION FOR BUSINESS GROWTH, AND

IT’S THE ‘WHY’ BEHIND MY BUSINESS, BRIGHT7.

Too many successful small business owners plateau before their

business reaches its full potential because they don’t understand the

power of Process + People. They don’t look at the McDonald’s model and

recognise it as their own path to time and financial freedom.

I know that I can help these business owners to recognise this big block

in their business and then help them to build the processes and systems

that will be the springboard for their future growth and success.

Systems to hire, develop and keep the right people. Systems to find, look

after and keep the right customers. The most successful companies, big

and still growing, have process and systems in every area of their

business.

That’s my mission in life…my passion I should say really…to help people -

business owners like you in particular - to Simplify and Systemise what

you do, so that you can fulfil your potential and achieve true success,

whatever that might look like to you.

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he first 3 steps of The McFreedom System™ are all about

slowing down, taking stock, determining what works and what

doesn’t so that we don’t throw the baby out with the bath

water!

And then developing effective plans, for both the long and the short

term…but more of that later...I don’t want to overwhelm you.

Overwhelm - that’s a word you hear a lot around business owners and

entrepreneurs. In fact in a survey I carried out recently with over 1000 of

you, it was seen as the number one reason for not moving your business

forward...comfortably beating procrastination and distractions.

We all have those days where you can’t see the wood for the trees; where

your to do list is so long it will take you to the middle of next week just to

get through half of it.

Those days when you don’t feel like your life is your own, when you’re

working to other people’s priorities and everyone wants a piece of

you...when you feel completely chaotic and out of control.

T

Sometimes in life we need to slow down

in order to go faster.

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As one-offs, these days are

manageable...there are simple tools

and systems to get you through

them...to deal with them...and still

move your business forward.

But it’s when these days start to

merge, when as a client said to me

recently...’overwhelm becomes the

norm,’ when you forget where the hell you’re going, let alone how you’re

going to get there...that freedom can seem like a million miles away.

Whether that’s you right now, or not, if you want to move forward towards

time and financial freedom, you need to take a step back, right now, and…

Where you are now?

Where you want to be?

What’s blocking your path?

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1. WHERE ARE YOU NOW?

If you want to lose weight, you start by getting on the scales.

Before you can decide where you want to be and how you’re going to get

you there, you need to be clear about where you are now - like getting

on the scales, it’s a starting point to measure success against later.

Compare your business to McDonald’s as we did in the introduction...

Are you consistent and reliable...no matter what day, or time of

day...no matter who a customer talks to in your business?

Are you available...is it easy for your customers to find you?

Do you have systems, and if so are they simple, logical and

repeatable?

How many times would you need to ask ‘why?’ before you uncovered

the real reason each system exists?

Can you leave your team to get on and run the business for you,

when you’re not there?

Are you confident that those who do work for you will do it correctly,

and to the standard you expect?

Look at your business from every angle to get a really clear picture of

what works and what doesn’t, what you’re really good at, and where you

need to improve.

Get all of the worms out of the can before you move on to look at...

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2. WHERE DO YOU WANT TO BE?

What does success look like to you?

It’s so easy to get bogged down in other people’s view of success, and

overwhelmed with other people’s priorities... chasing other people’s

goals.

A successful life is way more than just a successful business or

career...and yet sometimes we chase business success, at the cost of

everything else.

So back to my question...what does success look like to you?

What would have to be in place... what would you be doing... who would

you be with... where would you be... for you to consider your life to be a

success.

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Do you really want that million pound business... maybe you do... maybe

you want a ten million pound business, or maybe a 6 figure business

would suit you just fine.

Maybe you’re more about having time to be with your kids while they’re

growing up... with your parents while you still have them... seeing the

world with your other half?

Think of those things that are really important to you...the things you

would want to be remembered for...the things that would say to you, that

your life was a success.

Do you really want the freedom that being replaceable would bring? And

if so... what for?

Take the time to really think this through.

Why?

Because when you’re really clear about what success looks like to

you...then you know with absolute certainty what your priorities are, and

what you should be planning for.

You won’t just know what you should be doing every day... but also WHY

you’re doing it.

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3. WHAT’S BLOCKING YOUR PATH?

What is getting in the way of you achieving the success you’re after?

Is it other people’s priorities?

Is it your obsession with shiny new programmes and other people’s

success? or Is it simply that you never really took the time to work out

what success looks like to you, and so you’ve never created the plan or

the systems necessary to achieve it?

Get really clear about your answers to these questions...but remember

that even when you think you’re crystal clear about where you are and

what’s blocking you...it’s still only your view!

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YOUR CUSTOMERS

Find out what your customers think not just about what you do for them,

but also how you do it.

Check whether you satisfy the 5 basic expectations of every customer

that I talk about in Process to Profit, and which form the foundations of

McDonald’s service model.

1. Speed - do they get what they want from you when they want it?

2. A painless interaction - is your business ‘friction-free’ and

easy to do business with?

3. Friendliness and respect - are you and your business friendly

and approachable?

4. Availability - are you somewhere where your customers can find you

easily?

5. Value for money - do you deliver on their core expectations... and

then some?

We all know that while it’s important to evaluate our

business from our own very personal viewpoint,

it ’s essential that we also get the view of our customers,

and other key stakeholders.

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Ask them if you meet their needs...if

you resolve their pain...if you give

them a great experience. Find out

what works and what doesn’t...if

there is anything you can do to

make their lives easier.

Call them, survey them, do

whatever you want to do...but get

that information.

YOUR TEAM

Whether they are directly employed by you or not, anyone who does

work for you is part of your team, and you need to know their views about

what works and what doesn’t in your business.

Are you making their lives easier or unnecessarily complicated?

Do you put blocks in the way of them delivering a great customer

experience?

Do they have systems to follow, or is everything a bit random and

reactive?

By asking your team for their input at this stage...and listening to it, you

begin to build the trust and engagement you will need when you come

to install your new systems further down the line.

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YOUR PRODUCTS

As part of your research, and in light of your customer feedback... assess

your existing products, asking yourself questions like these...

Are your products and services still

relevant to your customers? How could

they be improved/updated to better

meet your customers’ needs?

Have you changed your product, or added products for the sake of

it, or because you were bored with what you had, rather than because

your customers needed the new product?

How much does each product contribute to your business? Where does

each sit on the energy vs profit grid?

YOUR NUMBERS

You will know what numbers are important to your business better than

I will, but having a good handle on the following figures is a great starting

point.

What was your turnover in the last 12 months? What was your

profitability?

How many regular customers do you have? What services do these

customers use?

How many customers have you lost? And why?

Just like when you want to lose weight...knowing your starting point, and

being clear about your target, is essential to a successful outcome.

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Without wishing to over-stretch the analogy...creating plans and

developing systems for your business without having completed your

evaluation and research, would be like buying a new suit or a dress that

will soon be two sizes too big!

Do your research. Have a firm handle on where you are now, and where

you want to get to. Understand the blocks that are in your way, and how

you’re going to overcome them. Be clear about what your customers and

your team want to see you improve.

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n Step 3 what we’re going to do is focus in on a more actionable and

immediate timeframe. For me, that’s 3 years - long enough to keep

me driving forward – short enough to recognise the outcomes I’m

achieving and adjust course if I need to.

3 YEARS

Your 3 year plan is going to be based on how close you want to get to

your vision over the next 3 years.

How much profit do you want to have made? How many new

customers?

How many products?

Do you want to have replaced yourself in your business by then?’

Or maybe you want your freedom sooner, because there are other things

that you want to have achieved in 3 years?

I

We said in Step 1 that it ’s essential to know where you’re

going and have that clear Vision of where you want to get

to - the big picture...the big priorities.

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1 YEAR

Your plan becomes even more

tangible as you home in on the

year ahead and get even more

specific.

I love planning for a new

year...twelve whole months

stretching out ahead, full of

opportunity and possibility. Developing a plan that is fully focused on the

big game...the important stuff...the things that are going to move me and

my business forward and build my personal and professional

relationships.

Planning is crucial if you want to achieve...if you want to deliver

measurable results. Yet so many of us head into a new year armed with

only a broad set of goals and a jumbled list of tasks, and end up wasting

time on irrelevant social media conversations and unfocused meetings

and activities. Before we know it, we’re into March, and we’ve lost nearly

a quarter of the year without achieving anything meaningful.

Getting any plan right starts with that big question: What am I trying to

achieve...and why? and builds from there...goals, objectives, targets,

deadlines, milestones, measures of success...all essential elements in a

robust plan.

You’ll plan and book your holidays...yes, you will do that now, not only as

a target to work torwards, but also as a re-energiser for your mind, body

and spirit. You’re going to need them, and besides, there’s more to life

than work!

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1 QUARTER

You’ll then break your yearly plan down into quarters, with 90 day goals

and targets, that you’ll come to by asking...“ok, so if I want to be there at

the end of the year...where do I need to be by the end of each quarter?”

3-1-Q

I call it 3-1-Q planning, because you assess and adjust at the end of every

quarter, every year and every 3 years. Always keeping your big Vision and

your big Priorities in full focus.

Always moving forward.

After that, it’s down to your personal strategy for time management and

personal effectiveness...

your monthly and weekly schedules that move you forward

your quarterly targets your daily disciplines that keep you focused

on what you’re trying to achieve and why

the crucial first 90 minutes of your day, focused on business-

building activity

your calls and meetings all scheduled...all with end times

your disciplined use of social media

Every business owner needs a robust plan...a route map to follow...

something that tells you where you’re headed and how you’re going to

get there...and then keeps you on track.

’

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I want to hear what your vision is, I want to know how you’re getting on

with setting up those key systems in your business, I want to hear how

your employees are responding to your new procedures.

Tweet me at http://www.twitter.com/MariannePage07, or come over

to my Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/Bright7Ltd and pop

a post on my timeline.

If you’re struggling, let me know and I’ll do my best to help you out. If

you’re loving your new consistent business, let me know that too. Either

way, I’d love to hear from you.

YOUR BRIGHT7 ROADMAP TO

TIME AND FINANCIAL FREEDOM

The McFreedom SystemTM gives you the know-how and tools to build

a consistent and reliable business that runs like clockwork whether you’re

there or not.

Well actually, the first, most important step...COMMIT.

Make a commitment now to achieve your time and

financial freedom. Set the date that you are going to

replace yourself in your business. Then, one day at a

time... make it happen!

http://www.twitter.com/MariannePage07

http://www.facebook.com/Bright7Ltd

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Through this programme, I work with you to implement each of the 7

steps and embed the key systems into your business.

There are several ways to work with The McFreedom System™.

Choose the one that’s right for you:

The McFreedom System™ Bootcamp

Develop your systems through online tutorials and pdf resources in this

quick start, 7 week online programme

The McFreedom System™ Boardroom

Work with me more closely over 12 weeks, to develop your 4 Foundation

Systems through live weekly skype sessions, online tutorials and pdf

resources. You’ll also have full access to The Systems Macademy™ for a

year

The McFreedom System™ Bespoke

Where I come into your business and work side by side with you and your

team to develop the 4 Foundation Systems that still form the bedrock of

McDonald’s success, and on which the McFreedom System is based. I’ll

leave you with Simple, Logical and Repeatable systems and a high

performing team to run them

Your Big Cheese Day

Come to my house and work with me 1:1, to strategise, to design your 4

Foundation Systems, to create your routines and to build a workable

action plan to set you on your way to McFreedom

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The Systems Macademy™

Build your Simple Logical and Repeatable systems one by one, and in

your own time. Each Simple System in the Macademy comes complete

with a step by step guide for How and When to use the system, templates

for you to make your own, and an example of the system in use. Each of

the Simple Systems can be bought separately, or in related groups.

Alternatively you can join the Macademy membership programme, and

have ongoing access to a number of Systems every month, plus support

through The McFreedom System™ Facebook Group, and with Gold Level

membership, bi-monthly coaching calls and a Quarterly online Q&A

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I would love to think that I could help you further at some point, and work

with you to speed up your time and financial freedom.

You downloaded this e book for a reason, and while you know will know

best how you want to use what you’ve learned in this book, just don’t do

nothing. Take ACTION of some sort to move you forward towards the

systemisation of your business, and your own personal time and financial

freedom.

You have options now, and if you want to talk them through then get in

touch via any of the details below.

‘Don’t forget to check out the other Busy Business Owner’s Guides:

The Busy Business Owner’s Guide to Developing Simple

Systems

The Busy Business Owner’s Guide to Removing the People

Pain

The Busy Business Owner’s Guide to Achieving Consistently

Excellent Performance’

Alternatively, if you want to try out a few of the Simple Systems to get you

started, then simply visit www.7poundsystems.com and get going

today.

Thank you for choosing to download this free eBook. It ’s

been a privilege to talk to you, albeit in print, for the last

20 minutes or so, and I hope that I have given you food for

thought about what is possible for you and your business.

http://www.7poundsystems.com/

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The Bright7 team and I will always be here if you get stuck or have any

questions.

Until we speak again...

Marianne

Creator of Bright7 and the McFreedom System,

Author of Process to Profit

www.bright7.co.uk

[email protected]

@Mariannepage07

fb.com/Bright7Ltd

uk.linkedin.com/in/mariannepage

0203 189 1707

http://www.bright7.co.uk/

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.twitter.com/MariannePage07

http://www.facebook.com/Bright7Ltd

http://uk.linkedin.com/in/mariannepage

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This document is not endorsed by McDonald’s or in any way associated

with them, other than through my connection with them over a

successful 25+ year career. Through The McFreedom SystemTM I simply

share the knowledge and expertise gained while working at McDonald’s,

and elsewhere, along with what I have learned through personal

development and research, to help you on your journey to time and

financial FREEDOM.

planning for freedom

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