(Isstories Editorial):- Appleton, Wisconsin Jun 26, 2025 (Issuewire.com) – Brandon Erickson, founder of 7 Innovations LLC and CEO of North Valley Precision, is calling for a renewed focus on operational infrastructure in the startup and SMB landscape. His message is direct: entrepreneurs need to treat internal systems–particularly those governing operations, quality assurance, and data clarity–as critical assets, not afterthoughts.
“Everyone gets excited about the product or the pitch,” says Erickson. “But without a defined process behind how the business functions day to day–especially in quality or fulfillment–momentum stalls, and scale becomes unsustainable.”
With over 15 years of executive and consulting experience across manufacturing, biotech, and e-commerce, Erickson has overseen quality operations tied to over $3 billion in protected manufacturing assets, participated in high-stakes M&A evaluations, and driven nearly $50 million in online revenue. One recurring theme? Lack of systems is a silent killer.
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“I worked on a biotech acquisition that looked solid on the surface,” Erickson recalls. “But when we audited their QA protocols, it became clear they weren’t scalable. That one weakness tanked the entire deal.”
A 2022 U.S. Bank study reinforces his point: 82% of small business failures cite poor cash flow management or inadequate internal systems as key contributors. Erickson sees this not as a technology gap, but as a discipline gap. His advice is simple: build operational muscle before chasing growth.
“Embed structure early–before it’s visible, before it feels necessary. That’s how you create operational durability.”
The Broader Business Case
While North Valley Precision specializes in quality assurance for industrial manufacturers, Erickson emphasizes that systemization is industry-agnostic. Whether a company operates in SaaS, logistics, healthcare, or retail, its internal processes must be designed for repeatability and clarity.
“Systems aren’t just about compliance–they’re about precision in decision-making,” Erickson explains. “If you don’t have visibility into your workflows, your data is noise. And noise kills strategy.”
Erickson draws a practical analogy from his personal life as a youth sports coach: “Good habits compound. You win by doing the small things right, repeatedly. The same applies in business. There’s no shortcut around process discipline.”
From Founder Chaos to Functional Scale
Reflecting on his own entrepreneurial beginnings, Erickson points to the grind of solopreneurship–managing product development, marketing funnels, client communication, and inventory, all without a team. “I had to create structure to survive,” he says. “Without even basic SOPs, I was bottlenecking my own growth.”
He encourages founders to audit their core operations every quarter, evaluating customer onboarding, production schedules, logistics, billing systems, and communication workflows. Even incremental gains in efficiency or error reduction can compound into serious growth capacity.
“You don’t need enterprise software or a 10-person ops team. Start with spreadsheets, flowcharts, or checklists–whatever gets the job done consistently.”
Action Steps for Founders
To help business owners start systemizing today, Erickson recommends the following steps:
- Map Core Workflows – Document how your service or product moves from initiation to completion.
- Isolate Failure Points – Identify where errors, rework, or customer complaints occur most frequently.
- Standardize Processes – Build repeatable systems for key functions (sales, service, delivery, QA).
- Refine Weekly – Target and improve one operational area per week.
“Most businesses don’t fail because the founder wasn’t working hard enough,” Erickson says. “They fail because they weren’t structurally prepared to handle growth.”
About Brandon Erickson
Brandon Erickson is the founder of 7 Innovations LLC and CEO of North Valley Precision, a Wisconsin-based firm specializing in quality operations for industrial and commercial clients. He is also an author, investor, and youth sports coach. Erickson integrates faith, structure, and purpose into every venture he leads and continues to advocate for operational rigor as a cornerstone of business success.
Brandon Erickson
