How to Create SOPs for Your Business
You’ve determined that you want to create the SOPs for your business - the bible on how every part of it runs. Now you’re thinking about every single thing you do and you don’t even know where to start.
I’m going to share how to document your processes and create your SOPs.
There are two main options for starting points:
Every single day for a week, write down and document everything that you do each day; OR
Split your business into sections and then go through each section and write down and document everything you do for that area. These sections would be things like marketing, software/apps, IT, accounting, etc.
As with everything else, whichever way works best for you is the best way to go about it.
Once you’ve decided on your starting point, it’s time to do the documenting. I’m not going to sugarcoat it - this part is a little tedious. There’s no way around that. But there are two tools I personally use which have made it a little easier. Note: This is not an ad and I don’t have affiliate links. These are just the tools that I use.
Tango - This is a Chrome extension which will create an SOP document as you go, complete with instructions and screenshots. The free version includes the Tango branding, so as long as you don’t mind that, you won’t need to pay. The screenshots include highlighted clicks and buttons. The instructions are editable so you can add/remove information as you see fit. This only works in the Chrome browser, but is a great way to create a process document for anything that you need to do online.
Loom - This is a desktop application which will record your screen and allow you to narrate. The free version allows videos up to 5 minutes long. If you need to document something longer than that, you will want to upgrade to the paid version. This is a great option to provide nuance to any process or for anything that you do in a desktop application rather than in a browser. This is easily used to provide quick responses or feedback on work products as well. I use this with my clients when I want to explain using a Trello board or provide reference on how to complete a process.
Both of these tools help cut down on time because you can use them as you are going about the process instead of having to write down every single step. The documentation produced is also great for working with your team as you can provide visual touchpoints.
For anything else whether these two tools won’t work, you’ll need to write the process. Think about every step along the way, no matter how small or obvious it seems. Things that seem obvious to you - the business owner, creator, and decision maker in the process - will not be obvious to someone picking up this task or project later.
Just like creating anything else for your business, writing your SOPs takes some thought and time up front, but will pay off in saved time, money, and frustration down the road.
Want to have a clear picture of all of the pieces of running your business, but aren’t sure where to start? Do you have a few employees and want to make sure that you have all of the necessary things in place for your business operations? Take a look at my free Operations Audit Workbook to give you a starting point. PS - filling this out in its entirety will get you started on creating your own SOPs for your business.
For more information on my other services, please visit my website or my Instagram page. I look forward to connecting with you!
