Honestly there are many reasons why as a Solopreneur and Business Owner you need Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). But first, what is an SOP anyways?!?
An SOP is a step by step guide to any task, process or procedure you do in your business. And yes, I’m saying your business, because even if you’re a Solopreneur, you are a business owner. But back to SOPs…
Pretty sure you didn’t go into business to deal with admin burden, but even if it seems complicated, or even boring, they’re really not that difficult to put together. Whether you’re a newbie or you’ve been doing this for a while, SOPs make a huge difference.
If that weren’t enough, let me tell you why you need these in your life…
Foundation for Growth & Success
SOPs set roadmaps to everything that needs to be done in your business to reach your goals. They are fundamental to the foundation of your business to make sure you have something solid to build upon. They will be a huge factor as to how much your business can grow, how fast it can grow, and ultimately how successful it can be. The best part is that they lead to putting systems into place, which then allows you to start automating. Which is a huge Win btw!
Consistency, Staying Organized & Productivity
If you struggle with staying on task, staying organized or being productive because you feel you’re being pulled in different directions, then SOPs can help fix that. They will help you start building productive habits and help check things off your to-do list. Because SOPs are a step by step guide, then it makes planning and scheduling easier, and in turn time management gets so much better.
Imagine things running smoother than they are now, and having more time for you, for things at home like distance learning, and other things life throws at you.
Then what if, people start noticing how much value you can add to their business and life, and “OMG the vision for my business becoming a reality and I’m growing!” Now you have even more to do, and more to keep track of, and may even start thinking about bringing team members.
Easy Onboarding
And I’m not talking about just Team Member Onboarding, but Client Onboarding and Vendor Onboarding as well.
Anytime one of these roles comes into your business, there will be several things to do for each, to collect from each, information to be shared….there should be a written out process for each of these. That way the next time bring on a new team member, you’ll know exactly what to do, and won’t lose time thinking about what else might be needed. Your entire process will be much more efficient.
On top of that, when you’re training new team members, being able to give them an SOP to follow will help them learn your processes even faster. Less time wasted on trying to explain things.
Minimize Risks & Errors
There are a lot of projects or tasks that will be repetitive. Whether it’s working with a new client, launching a new course, or how to post a blog, even though you’ve done it many times, if you have your checklist, it will help ensure there’s nothing left out. Sometimes one little detail while make a huge difference in the outcome of a project. SOPs helps eliminate errors, which saves time and increases productivity because you won’t have to go back and fix your mistakes. This goes for you and any team members, whether they’re contractors or employees.
Relieving Your Stress
Essentially, if SOPs are saving you time and money, and increasing your productivity, your overall stress level will benefit. Especially when you have an overwhelming project or life is just too much right now. If you have standardized your processes and start putting systems into place, you will not have to worry (as much) about every little detail of your business and you will know things are running on schedule. Peace of mind, even for the small things in your business, is everything.
Some examples of SOPs to create:
- Client projects
- Client, Team Member or Vendor Onboarding
- Social Media Content Calendar
- Requesting Testimonials from your awesome Clients
- Launching a program or course
- Posting a blog
- Paying your Team Members
- CRM Maintenance
- And so many more…
If you feel you don’t know where to start, click here to find out when my next Business Foundation: SOPs & CRMs Workshop is. I’ll go over an easy to follow guide for you to write out your SOPs. Then we’ll go over CRMs and how you can use your SOPs to automate and eliminate admin burden.
#SystemsAreAwesome
Recommended Reading:
How to Hack & Level Up Your Productivity
Why You Should Always Focus on Administrative Projects First
3 Ways Delegation Can Bring Your Business to the Next Level
3 Reasons Why You Should Keep Track of Your Customers
Christelle Fernandez
Operational Consultant | Online Business Manager