When Mark Anderson purchased Anchored, a height safety business that installs permanent ladders, platforms, walkways, guard rails, static lines, and anchor points, he brought 20 years of experience from Bosch’s automotive development sector. Taking over in March 2020, right at the start of COVID lockdowns, Mark transformed a small operation with three staff into a thriving business with 15 team members in just three years.
The Business Owner Bottleneck: When Everything Depends on You
Mark’s initial experience running Anchored revealed the classic small business challenge of becoming the operational bottleneck. Without documented processes, every aspect of the business required his direct involvement.
“One day I received so many phone calls that on your Apple phone, after you received 100 phone calls, they start moving off the previously received calls. That was less than one day in terms of receiving and making phone calls,” Mark recalls. “I was trying to quote, and I was doing a site visit at the same time. It’s impossible to be present with any of those 100 phone calls and the site visit and doing the quote.”
The previous owner had handed over the business with minimal training, declaring that “training wasn’t his forte,” leaving Mark to piece together operations while simultaneously managing explosive growth during a challenging economic period.
Strategic Systems Implementation: Finding SYSTEMology
Mark had specifically sought a business he could scale using his corporate systems experience, but recognized the need to adapt his approach for a small operation. His turning point came through a coaching program.
“That’s sort of how I came across SYSTEMology and systemHUB; it was through one of my coaching through Prova,” Mark explains. “I was looking at some old videos and you did a presentation and it was like, well, this is codified exactly what I want to do rather than reinvent the wheel. Have it, I take what you’ve done and run with it.”
This discovery provided the framework he needed to implement systems methodically while avoiding the pitfalls of over-engineering processes for a growing business.
Building a Process Foundation One Step at a Time
Mark’s implementation of systems at Anchored followed a strategic approach:
- Starting with high-risk areas first, creating training documentation for installers
- Developing clear communication protocols to streamline messages across platforms
- Creating systems in real-time using tools like Loom to record processes
- Implementing a comprehensive onboarding process for all new team members
- Prioritizing high-frequency tasks that directly impacted business performance
- Adapting corporate workflow concepts using “department hats” for responsibilities
Transformative Results: Freedom Through Systems
Operational Independence
The implementation of systems changed Mark’s relationship with his business. “I don’t want to be involved in everything and I want to be able to take some holidays and want to be able to spend time with the family,” he notes. “Work has just been happening. I don’t have to be there.”
Growth Capacity
Anchored grew from 3 employees to 15 in three years despite launching during COVID lockdowns. The system’s foundation made this scaling possible without creating bottlenecks.
Industry Leadership
Mark’s systematic approach elevated his standing, moving from industry newcomer to board member of the Working at Heights Association in less than three years.
Keys to Process-Driven Growth
Mark’s experience offers valuable insights for business owners looking to scale with systems:
- “To recognize that you already have a lot of systems in place. You just call them habits”
- Being effective rather than being efficient… doing the right thing in the right order”
- Focus on high-impact areas first: “What’s going to affect the GP, what’s going to affect your sales”
- Create processes in real-time: Record yourself solving problems once
- “If you want to run a proper business, start writing things down and being able to share it”
Mark continues to refine the systems at Anchored, creating a business that runs smoothly without requiring his constant presence. “Once you see it, you can’t unsee it and I wouldn’t do it a different way,” he concludes.
Start Your Process-Driven Scaling Today
Ready to follow Mark’s lead and create a business that can run without your constant involvement? The SYSTEMology book provides the exact framework Mark used to scale Anchored from 3 to 15 staff members in just three years.
Get your copy of SYSTEMology and discover the step-by-step approach to extracting your knowledge into systems that work.
