Let’s Talk SOP’s
Let’s Talk SOP’s and Why Your Business NEEDS Them.
SOP ‘s are Standard Operating Procedures and they are the foundation of building solid, consistent systems in your business.
Consistency in your business is crucial for success. And SOP’s will create that for you – AND it will give you peace of mind knowing that all your business tasks are being completed to your standards EVERY SINGLE TIME – no matter who is completing the task.
That’s the power of SOP’s.
So let’s dive in.
What exactly are SOP’s?
An SOP is a documenting procedure that outlines all the steps to complete tasks for your business. The goal is to streamline all the processes in your business in order to ensure consistent and reliable results every single time. It’s basically a personalized and detailed how – to guide for all the recurring procedures and processes in your business.
SOP’s will be a game changer for you as your business grows.
Here’s why:
- ORGANIZATION – SOP’s will keep everyone on the same page. You KNOW things will be done to the high standards you expect because everyone on the team will have a step-by-step process to follow. Using SOP’s = Consistency.
- HELPS ONBOARDING NEW TEAM MEMBERS – onboard new team members more effectively by arming them with SOP’s for all the recurring tasks they will need to complete. This gives them more confidence to take action and it means a lot less questions for you. That’s a win-win!
- CLEAR EXPECTATIONS – SOP’s give such a detailed guideline of what the expectations are for the procedures and processes within your business which lends itself to a much more productive team.
- HIGHER QUALITY OUTPUT = LESS ERROR – SOP’s create consistency in the quality of work your team is producing and having clear direction within each SOP cuts down on team error.
- MAKES DELEGATING SUPER EASY – when you need to pass off tasks to other members of your team, having SOP’s will allow you the freedom to delegate without the stress.
Pro Tips for Creating SOP’s
Create an SOP Template
If you are brand new to SOP’s in your business – think about creating an SOP template. This will create consistency in SOP’s across your business and make creating new SOP’s much easier.
Add in Visuals
Add in visuals that will help make the process clear – think screenshots, images, or graphics. It might even be helpful to record a short loom video to embed into the SOP. Think about the questions that might come up when someone completes this task and make sure those are answered in the SOP.
Keep it Simple
You want the SOP’s to be easy to follow – so that all members of your team can complete that task easily and independently.
Team Access
Store your SOP’s in a place that is easily accessible to all members of your team – your PM tool or your digital filing system (Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive)
Keep the End Goal in Mind
When creating the SOP, remember what the end goal is – you are creating a document for your business in order to keep processes consistent to brand standards. Include the necessary information and guidance in order to ensure the end result you are looking for.
Review and Audit
You want to schedule a time to review your SOP’s and make necessary changes. Your processes will change as your business grows so it’s important to review your SOP’s quarterly.
Need help setting up SOP’s in your business? Let’s connect – I can help you create, organize and audit your SOP’s so that your business has a strong foundation in place as you scale!
