Two systems I can't live without in my business

Systems I've created in Notion that save me time.

Image created with Midjourney and customized with Canva

Hey there, it’s Meighan! Welcome to ⚙️Ops+Bots, a newsletter where I share insight into technology, creating better systems, and running a business online.

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Today, I want to share 2 systems I’ve designed in Notion that help me run my entire business. They are a knowledge base and a business hub. They both act as central repositories for information, or sources of truth as they are often referred to in the knowledge management space.

I’m going to share with you:

• What they are

• What they do

• Why I love them

• How you can create your own

Knowledge Base

I’ve been a Notion user for a very long time, and I’ve left it a few times for ClickUp. But I have never fully abandoned it. I really thank my past self for that!

I’ve had my Knowledge Base (KB) in Notion for almost 5 years. This thing is something I’m so proud of, if it were to disappear today, I’d be lost.

A screenshot of my current knowledge base in Notion

Knowledge Bases have become de rigueur in the past decade as knowledge management becomes crucial for businesses and individuals. They can take many forms, but suffice to say they are a vessel for information that “…serve as a repository of manuals, procedures, policies, best practices, reusable designs and code, etc.”¹

This is where I think Notion really shines: knowledge management. I’ve tried to recreate knowledge bases in ClickUp and Asana, and I find there to be too much visual noise in there for my ADHD brain.

What it does:

My KB houses any kind of knowledge that helps me run my business more efficiently. Here’s what’s in there:

• SOPs (standard operating procedures): these list out how to run most things in my business. SOPs help me remember things, allow me to train team members easily, and help my clients by giving them pre-written SOPs.

• Automation processes: I have a bunch of automations in Zapier, Make, and Pipedream, and I don’t ever really touch them. When I need to duplicate them for a client or fix them I can’t always remember how I put them together. Having them listed out is huge. All I have to do is look for the one piece of info I need, instead of having to Google it.

• Templates: copy and paste emails, launch copy, etc. Over the past few years I rely so much on templates because I say so much of the same things to clients.

• Prompts: ChatGPT and Midjourney prompts that have worked well and become part of my workflow. All I have to do is cut and paste the prompts instead of trying to remember what they were.

• Code snippets: HTML, CSS, things I need in design. Never ever have to Google how to customize something for the 100th time.

• Policies: Communication, customer service, etc. Great for training team members on how I like things to be done, as well as give to clients as swipe copy.

• Processes: Whimsical or Miro board embeds of my processes like onboarding, lead magnet, etc. 

• Memes: I remember memes like old friends, and the best go in here for when I need them for content.

• Resources: Papers, articles, I refer to often in content or when working with a client. I refer to an article in this piece today that I continually cite.

If I refer to something in my business often, it goes into my KB. I think a lot about knowledge management and how to make things easier to access. We retain so much information, and it doesn’t make sense to try and remember everything.

A notion template that is automatically applied to every SOP I create.

Notion features I use to make my knowledge base interactive and dynamic:

Templates: these auto populate when I add a new page, and they are set up to automatically apply within specific views.

Relations property: I link to multiple other databases within my knowledge base, which creates an ecosystem of valuable knowledge within my business. An example of this, I interlink to my KB for items that compliment the parent page. See image below.

A screenshot of an SOP in my knowledge base that uses Notion Relations to make the page interactive and dynamic.

AI “purpose” feature: This fills in automatically for me, writing what the page is about, what it contains, what it helps with.

Embeddable media: Notion does a great job at allowing embeds from other platforms. It makes my KB pages super dynamic when I can easily embed a Loom video, a Whimsical board, screenshots, etc.

Link property: Adding URLs for context and further information is key.

Why I love it

My KB helps me save time everyday in my business, and it’s something I try to get every client to use (I even created an out of the box Notion template to make it easy for people!)

Specific examples my KB helps me with:

Training: It is so draining and so much work to train someone, and having documentation like SOPs, code, and templates it really takes the weight off me. They also give your contractor or new hire autonomy to learn on their own and truly own their role. I often hand off SOPs to team members for them to continue to flesh out or create.

Launching a product/course: If you’ve launched a course or digital product, you know how much information you have to have at your fingertips. Having these docs and resources in one place makes it incredibly efficient, and takes some stress out of the process. Think: SOPs for Zoom, Zapier, your course platform, email templates, code snippets, etc. 

Creating a great experience for clients: I hesitate to use the word knowledge worker, but that’s what I am. My clients come to me to help them learn. Having things like resources, articles, and swipe copy for them creates an awesome experience for them. Plus having my onboarding mapped out with SOPs I can deliver a top notch client experience, which really makes people happy.

Tips for creating your own knowledge base

You get to decide where your knowledge base lives, but it should be located in a place where you and your team can access it easily. I find that creating it in your project management tool is best - Notion, ClickUp, Asana all work really well for knowledge bases. You can also keep your documentation in Google Drive and link to your tasks to make that information readily available.

The key is to make it easy to find and update - otherwise no one will use it.

Start with information that you need to run your business smoothly. Think SOPs (standard operating procedures), templates for copy, prompts and code snippets.

There’s no need to overthink it. Start small and continue to build. Pay attention to information that you have to continually look up online or that you are always reaching for.

I also offer an out the box knowledge base template and training for Notion, that gives you everything you and your team need to get started. And, next month we’re having a members only workshop all about SOPs!

Business Hub

The next system I rely on heavily is my Business Hub. This is similar to my KB but a bit less intense. It houses items like links and resources I need daily in my business. It’s like a quick links repository. It’s also visually appealing and makes me extremely happy lol.

My current business hub that makes me extraordinarily happy 😆😆

What it does:

My business hub gives me immediate access to:

• Important links: scheduler, student login, my affiliate hub, social media links (these pages also contain my bios, and my growth)

• Goals and milestones: My business hub is something I visit multiple times a day, I want these front and center

• Branding assets: bios, headshots, logos, fonts, headings, hex code colors

• Offers: services, courses, products, freebies

• Tech: Links to all of the tech I use, this is very helpful for when I have a team - these also link out to SOPs in my knowledge base

• Affiliate links: I’ve made a concerted effort to start to make money from the referrals I give, having these links makes it very easy for me to grab that link instead of having to go to some random website to find it.

• Much more! There’s much more one can add to their business hub but these are the key assets I find I use most.

Why I love it

I’ve used some form of a business hub since 2017, when I first learned what one was when I took Natasha Vorompiova’s course on Asana. I’ve never done without one, and it saves me countless minutes. 

When I first introduce this concept to clients they often ask, why can’t I just create bookmarks or just go and get this stuff where it lives.

Two reasons: distraction and efficiency.

When you have these assets all over the place, you are more likely to get distracted when you go looking for them. Having them in one place gives you and your team the opportunity to focus on work and be much more productive. It also gives your team agency to find things on their own, and be proactive in their role and add that info to the business hub.

A section of my business hub that houses all of my brand assets I use often.

Tips for creating your own

Like your knowledge base, your business hub should be in a central location that is easily accessible. Trello, Notion, ClickUp, Asana, etc. all work really well for this setup.

I personally like Notion because I can create a beautiful page with sections and images. If you use ClickUp or Asana I recommend using the kanban view like Trello.

Like your knowledge base, there’s no need to overthink it. Start small with quick links that you find yourself reaching for often: scheduler, affiliate hub, course login for students, etc. Then move onto things like branding. I can’t tell you how much time I have saved over the years by having my hex codes right at my fingertips. Sure you can access these in Canva, but have you been in there lately? It’s kind of a mess, and clicking into your brand assets is multiple clicks. Having them in your business hub, is one click.

In transparency, I’m re-launching my business hub template for Notion next week. If you like the look of mine, you can have your very own and change colors, images, etc. To get notified next week when it drops sign up here.

Making information accessible

If you’re serious about running a more efficient business, making information that supports the business easily accessible is key. It’s truly crucial.

Even if it’s just you, I encourage you to start to create these systems within your business. Because when you are ready to scale, these systems will help enormously.

When we carry information around in our heads, it creates a massive cognitive load. Overtime, it contributes to our stress and anxiety. As Ashley Whillans says in her piece Time Confetti and the Broken Promise of Leisure “Technology saves us time, but it also takes it away. This is known as the autonomy paradox.”² 

Essentially technology has given us more control, reach, and the ability to work anywhere but it’s also created a “continued connectivity”³ which makes distractions and inefficiency work experiences rife. These systems help limit that.

When we’re constantly multitasking (which working and looking for information at the same time is) it obliterates our days and our cognitive resources. Making your most accessed information accessible in documentation will alleviate stress, give you more time to work on what really matters, and probably most important the ability to take time off and disconnect.

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My products + offers to assist you:

• Learn how to create your own knowledge base right in Notion. You’ll receive a template and training. Get 🖇️ The Knowledge Base Kit.

• Need help in your Notion workspace? I’d love to help you! I offer live consulting and building sessions. Learn more here.

• Dread creating SOPs? I’ve got you with my new digital product 🪄 SOP Alchemy!

• Want to create your own beautiful business hub in Notion? Get on the list to be notified next week when it drops!

1. “Knowledge base,” Wikipedia, accessed March 28th, 2024, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knowledge_base

2. Ashley Whillans, “Time Confetti and the Broken Promise of Leisure,” Behavioral Scientist, October 7, 2020 https://behavioralscientist.org/time-confetti-and-the-broken-promise-of-leisure/

3. Mazmanian, Melissa; Orlikowski, Wanda J; Yates, JoAnne, “The Autonomy Paradox: The Implications of Mobile Email Devices for Knowledge Professionals,” Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS), Massachusetts Institute of Technology, February 2013 https://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/112333