Million-dollar businesses have one thing in common – a strong foundation.

They’re built on a rock-solid framework of repeatable, sustainable strategies and solutions that keep every vital area of the business running like a well-oiled growth machine. But these systems don’t fall into place overnight! As the CEO of your business, it’s important to set your company up for long-term success by implementing the 12 Pillars of Success.

The 12 Pillars of Success combines 6 cornerstones of seamless operations with 6 strategies that lay the groundwork for growth-focused marketing that takes your business to $1M and beyond with ease.

Let’s start with the 6 Pillars of Operations that keep your business running smoothly day after day, so you don’t have to!

1. Leadership Culture: You are the CEO. You are here to lead your team to greatness, and you can’t do that if you are constantly bogged down in the day to day of your business. Your job is to ensure that the vision and the mission of the company is communicated thoroughly and completely to your team. You instruct your team on the way you want to get that vision and mission out into the world so that they can support you in strategy, planning, implementation, tracking, and all the things that are going to lead you to a million dollars.
   
   
2. Human Resources: You will not reach the $1M+ mark on your own. You have to have a strong team supporting you and doing the work to get your brand out into the world. Your job is not to do everything- your job is to hire the right people with the right talent, clearly communicate their roles and responsibilities, and then trust them to get the job done. You’re always there to answer questions, offer advice, and support your team, but THEY are the ones doing the work.
   
   
3. Finances: You’ve got to spend money to make money, and that means you must ALWAYS have your financial ducks in a row! There is a lot of accounting that goes into maintaining a successful 7-figure business, and that requires an experienced bookkeeper and CPA. You need an accounting team that understands the big picture of your current finances, and tracks every cent that’s coming in and out of your business so they can help you manage cash flow, build a budget framework, and create a financial growth plan for the future.
   
   
4. Legal: Do you have an experienced attorney on your side? You should. Whether you’re a brick-and-mortar company or an online service provider, you need an attorney that understands all applicable laws and ordinances, and has the skills to help you draft contracts, protect your intellectual property, and ensure that your business is covered in every situation.
   
   
5. Project Management: If you’re functioning as both the CEO and the project manager of your business, you’re doing it wrong. These are important positions with very different responsibilities, and if you’re doing both, you’re limiting your growth potential. A project manager keeps your business organized, systemized, and on track so that you can extract yourself from the day to day and focus your genius on the future.
   
   
6. Tech: You need efficient, up to date technology if you want your business to continue to grow sustainably. Your tech stack should include CRM tools, calendar management tools, email and customer service management tools, and more. Your needs will vary based on your business, but it’s imperative to have the technology that increases your team’s efficiency and workflow and streamlines your operations.

When you have the 6 Pillars of Operations in place, you have created the framework for your business to run seamlessly day after day. You’re extracting yourself from daily tasks so that you can focus on the big picture of your business and truly function as the CEO and leader of your company.

If you’d like to learn more about the 6 Pillars of Operations and how they support your business, check out this episode of Building Your Empire with SophieZo, and come back next week to discover the 6 Pillars of Marketing!