What to Systemise First When You're Scaling a Small Team

Where do you even start?

When everything feels manual, messy, and mentally exhausting, systemising your business can feel like one more overwhelming thing to do. 

But the fix isn’t building a huge SOP library or setting up complex automations. It’s starting small, and building momentum with the right first systems. 

These are the 3 systems we recommend putting in place first. They give you structure, visibility, and breathing room. Fast.

1. Weekly Task Planner

Start by taking control of your week.

A two-page planning template that helps you: 

• Prioritise what matters
• Set clear goals for the week
• Create space for deep work and review

You can run it solo or with a team. It’s light, focused, and keeps your week structured without adding noise.

Why this comes first: 

• It gives your week structure from day one
• It gives you a true picture of progress (and drift)
• Makes work feel intentional, not reactive

Included in Core Pack 1: Business Essentials, alongside tools for planning, onboarding, SOP's and team structure.

2. Task Tracker and Delegation Sheet 

When your to-do list grows, but nothing moves, it's often because task ownership isn't clear, or tracked. 

This template helps you:

• Map out who owns what
• Track progress and status in one view
• Create accountability without micromanagement

It’s a simple way to bring order to scattered work.

Why this comes second:

• Delegation becomes structured and visible
• Team members know what they're responsible for
• You stop being the single point of follow-up

Included in Core Pack 1: Business Essentials, alongside tools for planning, onboarding, SOP's and team structure.

3. Task Handoff Template 

Delegation is where everything starts to strain, or strengthen. 

What it covers:

• Who owns the task now
• What’s already in progress
• What tools, files, or context are needed
• What risks, blockers, or deadlines exist

It’s a structured handoff system. Not a Slack ping. Not a “can you pick this up?” comment.

Why this comes third:

• Makes responsibility shifts cleaner
• Helps people cover roles without second-guessing
• Reinforces ownership and trust across the team

In one small ops team we worked with, failing to document customer complaint handoffs led to triple the escalations in a month, a simple system fixed it in one afternoon.

The Task Handoff Template is available free to our blog readers. 

Don’t overthink it. 

You don’t need a library. You need leverage. 

Start with these three. They’re short, simple, and usable. 

Once they’re in place, everything else becomes easier to systemise, because you’re no longer firefighting.

You’re operating.