The 4 Pillars Every Business Needs (And Why Systems Come Last)
Key Takeaways
- The common trap is thinking you need every system, process and a finished website before you can sell.
- Marketing starts with being clear on who you help and how you help them.
- A business really starts when money changes hands, so get clear on your offer, price and package, and qualify people before you sell.
- Work one to one with your first ten clients, then move to a group, then build a course.
- Systems are how you buy back your time, and the simplest way to build them is to record yourself doing the work.
Here is the most common trap I see. Owners get stuck in the details of getting started.
They think they need all their systems, all their processes, and a finished website before they can market and sell. That is backwards. You need ideal, high value clients coming to you and a sales process that converts. Then you build the systems that help you scale. Not the other way around.
Every business runs on four pillars. Here they are, in the order I would build them.
Pillar One. Marketing
Nobody knows about you yet. Putting your website live does not mean anyone will visit it. You have to tell people.
Marketing starts with being very clear on a few things. What problem do you solve? Who do you help? How do you help them?
Most problems fall into three big areas. Health, wealth and relationships. If you can help someone lose weight or build muscle, fix a relationship with their spouse or kids, or make or save money, you are in a strong category.
The problem I see is people trying to market an offer that is not clear. "I am a life coach. I help people." How? If you cannot answer that, your marketing will feel off. Once you know who you help and how, you can find your ideal clients instead of running ads and hoping.
Pillar Two. Sales
A business is really built on money changing hands. So you need to get clear on your offer. What is the price? What is the package? What is the solution?
When people come to you, qualify them. Do they have a sense of urgency? Can they pay? Do they really want your help?
You could sell through a website or sales page. But right now people are slow to trust. A real conversation helps. I like starting in the DMs on Instagram, then moving to a sales call where I can see someone's face and understand where they are coming from. That builds more trust than a DM ever will.
It depends on the price. A fifty dollar product does not need a sales call. An offer of a few thousand dollars usually does.
Pillar Three. Fulfillment
I ran a marketing agency for nine years before I sold it, so I know this one well. You cannot do everything for everybody.
When you are clear on the one problem you solve, you can serve people at a high level and keep them longer. Less churn. Better clients. More joy in the work.
Here is what I suggest. Find ten clients you can work with one to one. Then move to a group coaching call. By then you will know what your program should be, and you can build a course to support it.
You do not need to build a whole course before you sell your first spot. Get clients, learn what they need, then build for scale.
The DM framework for qualifying leads, booking calls and closing without a pitch.
Pillar Four. Systems And Team
This is the one people love to get lost in. What tools do you use? What software? But systems only matter if you act on them and build a team around them.
The goal of systems is to buy back your time. Think about a new client. If you have to take their card by hand, email every document, and log everything yourself, it gets tiring fast. So map out a simple onboarding process. Some people call this productizing your service.
Your team will only be as good as your systems. For my podcast, we have spreadsheets, an Asana checklist, and training on how we record, edit, and upload.
The simplest way to build systems is to record yourself. This is how I edit. This is how I record. This is the kind of thumbnail I want. This is how we set up ads. Walk through it on video.
I have done this with my sales process too. Who our ideal clients are, how we handle inbound, how we do outbound. If someone leaves after a few months, the next person can watch the videos and catch up much faster.
Once you have some revenue coming in, a setter is a good early hire. A setter books appointments and qualifies people for you. AI can help, but for now I think a human still does that job better.
Which Pillar Is Holding You Back
Marketing. Sales. Fulfillment. Systems and team.
Look at your business and ask which one is weakest right now. If you have not built the first two, do not get lost in the fourth. Get clients first. The systems will be much easier to build once you know what you are actually delivering.
Common Questions
Do I Need A Website And Systems Before I Start Selling?
No. Nathan says that is one of the most common traps. Get high value clients and a sales process that converts first, then build the systems that help you scale.
What Are The Four Pillars Of A Business?
Marketing, sales, fulfillment, and systems with a team to run them.
Do I Need A Sales Call To Sell My Offer?
It depends on the price. A fifty dollar product does not need a call. For an offer of a few thousand dollars, Nathan thinks a real conversation helps build trust.
How Do I Build Systems If I Have Never Written Them Down?
Record yourself doing the work and explaining it. Over time that builds a library your team can learn from, even if someone new joins later.
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Nathan Newberry is a business advisor, sales leader and former pastor. He helps Christian owners of established businesses scale so the business makes more money, needs less of them, and funds their calling. He built and sold a marketing agency, has interviewed hundreds of business advisors, and leads the Impact Freedom Accelerator. More about Nathan