What do the top online businesses know that you don’t?
In this interview series by Website Planet, I talk to digital business leaders, who share their untold truths, tips, stories and insights on what it really takes to build a successful online business. A deep dive into decades of expertise and experience that will immediately help you build and grow your online presence.
Today’s guest is David Jenyns, founder of SYSTEMology, systemHUB, and the Business Systems Summit. He’s also a best-selling author, host of the Business Processes Simplified podcast, and has delivered keynote presentations at TEDx, WordCamp, and ProBlogger. David has worked with 162 businesses across 48 industries and 27 countries, providing invaluable coaching on creating systems that free business leaders from the grind of daily operations.
David first systemized his own business, freeing himself from the day-to-day, and now helps companies worldwide do the same. Through SYSTEMology, he provides a framework for creating scalable systems, and with systemHUB, he offers a cloud-based platform for managing and optimizing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
His entrepreneurial journey began in his early twenties when he sold Australia’s iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground. From there, he went on to franchise retail clothing stores and founded Melbourne SEO Services, one of Australia’s leading digital agencies.
What gaps or trends in your industry led to the founding of your company, and what are your biggest milestones so far in terms of customers, revenue team, etc.?
One of the biggest trends I noticed was how many business owners get stuck in the day-to-day operations. Instead of focusing on growth or strategy, they spend their time putting out fires and handling repetitive tasks. This is a major bottleneck. I realized early on that the most skilled team members should be focusing on high-value work, not on things that can easily be delegated.
That’s where SYSTEMology comes in. We create systems that capture the most common and repetitive processes. This allows new team members to be trained quickly, while experienced staff can handle the exceptions. By documenting these processes, businesses can delegate more effectively, remove their dependence on key individuals, and free up leadership to focus on scaling.
As for milestones, we’ve had thousands of business owners work with our software or apply our methodologies to transform their operations. If you include our book, it’s safe to say that tens of thousands of businesses have benefited from SYSTEMology’s approach.
What are the most pressing pain points that you solve, and why do you think they are more urgent now than in the past?
The most pressing pain point we solve is simplifying system creation and documentation. With the rise of AI, this has become more urgent than ever. AI has the potential to streamline many tasks, but for it to be effective, businesses need to first get crystal clear on their core processes. If your processes aren’t well-defined, AI can’t step in to optimize them.
A lot of people think they can put off systemizing and deal with it later. But the longer they wait, the harder it becomes to change the culture of their organization. It’s one of those “I’ll get to it” tasks that keeps getting pushed back until the business is running on chaos instead of systems. The truth is, the sooner you start systemizing, the better off you’ll be.
Another common issue is that people don’t know where to begin. They’re unsure which systems to capture first, what software to use, or how to get their team on board. This leads to piecemeal attempts at systemization, which only end up adding more confusion.
What’s wrong with these approaches?
Waiting means you’re allowing inefficiencies to pile up, which can make the business overly dependent on key individuals.
Without a clear plan, people often invest in the wrong tools or capture the wrong processes—wasting time and money.
What features or unique approaches make your way to solve them better, and how has that helped you make an impact? Can you share metrics or stories that show the difference you’re making?
Our approach starts by capturing what businesses are already doing well and making those processes repeatable. Instead of reinventing the wheel or building systems from scratch, we focus on documenting the key processes that are already working. This allows businesses to gain traction much faster. Once they start, the momentum builds, and they see results quickly.
This approach has led to countless success stories—from business owners finally taking their first vacation to others successfully exiting their companies. One of our clients, Gary McMahon, Director at Ecosystem Solutions, saw dramatic improvements:
“Gross revenue increased by 200%, and net profits have gone from 8% to close to 30% by using systemHUB and SYSTEMology.” Gary McMahon, Director at Ecosystem Solutions
,
What exciting new projects or updates are you working on right now? What made you decide to focus on them, and how are they going to benefit your customers?
Right now, I’m really focused on the concept of a Systems Champion—someone within a business who takes ownership of systems development. I believe that for business owners to truly free themselves from the day-to-day, they need someone dedicated to driving systems forward. That’s why I’m doubling down on creating training and education specifically for this role.
A Systems Champion is responsible for embedding systems into the company culture. Their tasks include identifying areas for improvement, gathering feedback from employees and stakeholders, and training teams to develop and implement systems. Having someone in this role ensures that systems aren’t just created—they’re maintained, refined, and truly become part of the organization’s DNA.
By focusing on this, we’re helping businesses move faster and more efficiently. With a dedicated Systems Champion, the owner can focus on strategy and growth, knowing there’s someone steering the ship when it comes to systemization.
This initiative will significantly accelerate how quickly companies can systematize, leading to faster growth and smoother operations.
What trends or technologies will impact your industry the most? What opportunities and challenges will they bring?
AI will have the biggest impact on the world of business systems and processes. We’re already seeing how AI can handle documentation and execute tasks that used to require human intervention. Staying ahead of this shift is crucial for businesses that want to remain competitive.
Here’s how AI is changing the landscape for small business systemization:
Easier Systemization: AI is making it simpler than ever for small businesses to systemize. Tasks like documenting processes or creating training materials can now be automated, freeing up business owners and their teams to focus on growth, strategy, and other high-value activities.
Improved Systems and Processes: AI helps identify inefficiencies and bottlenecks within existing processes. It can also enhance training programs by customizing content based on employee performance and needs, making teams more effective.
Better ROI: By automating repetitive tasks and increasing efficiency, AI saves time and money for small businesses. It can also help improve the quality of products and services, which directly contributes to higher sales and profitability.
While AI brings incredible opportunities, it also presents challenges. Businesses will need to continuously adapt their systems to integrate AI and ensure their teams are trained to work alongside these technologies.
With over 13 years of experience in SEO and managing content websites, he has coordinated over 5000 product reviews and interviews with the biggest names in eCommerce, web hosting, cybersecurity, SaaS, AI, and online marketing, to provide newbies and experts with untapped, actionable insights from the top experts in the industry on how to build and grow websites.
Thank you, - your comment was submitted successfully!
We check all user comments within 48 hours to make sure they are from real people like you. We're glad you found this article useful - we would appreciate it if you let more people know about it.
Share this blog post with friends and co-workers right now:
Thank you, , your comment was submitted successfully!
We check all comments within 48 hours to make sure they're from real users like you. In the meantime, you can share your comment with others to let more people know what you think.
Thank you for signing up!
Once a month you will receive interesting, insightful tips, tricks, and advice to improve your website performance and reach your digital marketing goals!
