Subject: SOP’s- Super Obvious Productivity Hack!
Hey, {{first_name}}!
How do you know when you’re ready to take your business to the next level?
Here’s a hint- it’s a trick question. There’s never a perfect time. TODAY is the best time to take the next step!
The honest question is, what’s keeping you from taking your business to the next level? This question is jackpot gold.
For many entrepreneurs, they get stuck because they can’t figure out what the next step is supposed to be. But the answer is obvious. As soon as you’ve got more to do than is humanly possible and it’s stunting your growth, you need to hire more humans!
If your business is going to grow, you need to create the structures that will support the growth.
We build the structure by creating Standard Operating Procedures. These are the step-by-step instructions for the daily tasks that are essential to keep the business running smoothly. It’s the first step in delegating the tasks that are keeping you from doing the strategic work of a CEO.
It’s an old analogy, but it’s so good- your business is like a vine. Without a trellis, vines won’t thrive. They need support for the leaves to reach the sunshine and fresh air. The trellis bears the weight of the fruit or flowers. Without a trellis, vines on the ground are exposed to pests.
It’s the same thing in our business! It’s never going to get off the ground without structures in place to support its growth.
For the moms out there, this should ring a bell. How many of us have written “Clean your Room” on a child’s job chart? (If you’ve got a room cleaner, brilliant! Give that kid a gold star.) My kids had no idea how to clean their rooms until I broke it down for them:
Put the books on the bookshelf. Put the dirty clothes in the hamper. Put the toys in the bin.
Nothing gets done until they know what to do. When they know what to do, it all gets done!
- SOPs enable you to streamline your operations.
Who does what, and when?
When you’re the one-and-only employee of your startup, these questions don’t matter. You’re doing everything. You’re also limiting the growth to what you can do by yourself.
When you add new team members, you need coordination among the moving parts of the business. SOPs keep everyone on the same page, working toward the same goal.
- SOPs enable team members to take time off without stressing out about work getting done in their absence.
When someone is out, any task they’re responsible for can be delegated to anybody else. This protects the healthy work/life balance of you and your employees.
- SOPs serve as a checklist for any new team members.
Everybody knows what they need to do, and how to do it. When they have a question, the SOPs serve as a reference. It minimizes confusion.
- SOPs save time- and time is money.
Once an SOP is created, it’s available for any employee that needs it. You can refer new employees to the how-to videos. When these references are available to all employees, they’re equipped to answer most of their own questions. They don’t need to seek you out for a commonly asked question.
To create SOPs, figure out how you’re spending your time. Keep a journal, and write down what you’re doing, and how long it takes for you to do it. When you have a list of routine tasks, create the step-by-step instructions for how each task is completed.
That’s it! These are your SOPs.
As soon as the steps are written out, or a how-to video is made, anyone can do them. You’ve created a task that can be delegated to somebody else.
When these tasks are taken off your plate, you have more time to invest in reaching new clients. You’re minimizing stress and uncertainty, because by documenting the order of events, tasks don’t fall through the cracks.
It’s what the vision looks like, from the ground up. Dreams grow when they’re rooted and supported!
This is so foundational- and such a super obvious next step, that we’ve put together an X workshop! Join us- you won’t regret it! This is how you grow your business- and how to do it in a way that reduces overwhelm and creates margin.
We’d love to see you there!!
And please feel free to reach out with any question! We absolutely love it.
Let’s set up a time to chat! {{X’s calendly link here}}
Best-
Photo by Alexander Dummer on Unsplash