When Process Mapping Revealed My Client's Secret Business Empire
You know that feeling when you finally find your favorite pair of socks? Pure satisfaction. Now imagine finding three pairs you didn't even know you owned. That's exactly what happened when I mapped out a client's workflow last month.
Here's what went down: My client swore they ran two straightforward services. Nothing fancy. Their invoices backed this up. Their spreadsheets told the same story. Everything looked exactly as expected.
Then I fired up the automation mapping software.
What appeared on screen made me do a double-take. Instead of two clean service lines, I was looking at something that resembled a plate of spaghetti – but the good kind, where every strand has its place.
Layer by layer, the truth emerged. Hidden beneath their "two services" were completely separate operations. Each one had its own:
- Customer relationships
- Pricing structures
- Delivery systems
- Revenue patterns
These weren't just variations on a theme. They were three distinct businesses running side by side, like parallel universes that somehow never collided.
The revelation hit both of us at once. My client's eyes went wide. "Wait," they said, "you mean we've been running THREE businesses this whole time?"
Yep. Three full businesses. And here's the kicker – they weren't stepping on each other's toes. Each one served different needs, attracted different customers, and generated its own healthy revenue stream.
The Beautiful Mess We Uncovered
What started as a simple automation project turned into a business archaeology expedition. And honestly? Finding this hidden complexity was the best thing that could have happened.
Once we knew what we were actually dealing with, everything clicked into place. We formalized that third revenue stream (which had been humming along quietly for years). We gave each business line the attention it deserved. We stopped trying to force square pegs into round holes.
The results?
- Operations became twice as smooth
- Financial tracking went from murky to crystal clear
- Revenue didn't just grow – it flourished in ways we hadn't imagined
My client went from feeling overwhelmed by their "messy" business to realizing they'd built something remarkable without even knowing it.
Your Turn to Dig Deep
Here's my challenge to you: Map your processes. Really map them. Not just the official version you tell people at networking events, but the actual, messy, real-world version of how work flows through your business.
You might discover you're not running the business you think you're running. And that discovery? It could be the best thing that ever happens to your bottom line.
Sometimes complexity isn't a problem to solve – it's an asset you didn't know you had. Sometimes those tangled processes are actually three thriving businesses waiting to be recognized and nurtured.
So grab your mapping tools (or just a big piece of paper and some markers). Start tracing those workflows. You never know what empire you might uncover hiding in plain sight.
Trust me, it's way more exciting than finding lost socks.
Comments
Post a Comment