Finding that your whole team isn’t on the same page? Or when a team member is OOO no one seems to know how to fill in? You could be missing an integral part of your business (and also one of my favorite parts of BTS), S.O.P.s.
What is an S.O.P.?
An S.O.P. is the Standard Operating Procedure. This is the key to getting your whole team on the same page and ensure efficiency and standardization!
S.O.P.s are a set of instructions that describe all the relevant steps and activities of a process or procedure. They are needed in your business (ESPECIALLY when you’re starting to scale) because they help with communication, consistency, and accountability. Not to mention that they can save you a ton of time and money.
So…how do you write an S.O.P.?
If you got your hands on my Systems Made Simple freebie, then you have most of it done! (If you don’t, get it HERE) Now all you need to do is get it into a template and REFINE, REFINE, REFINE!
S.O.P.s are living, breathing documents. Talk to your team, audit your S.O.P.s once a quarter. How have they evolved, is there an easier way to get from point A to point B? Once you have them on paper, your only job is to make sure they’re being followed, reviewed, and maintained.
Build Your Own
The anatomy of an S.O.P. can be broken down into 5 categories: Purpose, Policy, Prereqs, Procedure, and Tools and Resources.
Purpose
A system without purpose is useless – we run intentional businesses around here! When writing down the purpose, you don’t have to be flowery and extra, it could literally be “We monitor KPIs to make sure Team BTS is meeting and exceeding expectations on all metrics.”
Policy
What is your business’s policy on refunds? How about onboarding – who hosts the onboarding call, when is it scheduled (before or after payment)? Who has access to client passwords or financials?
Prereqs
This is so important! What does your team need access to in order to be successful? You can link to passwords, other S.O.P.s, and the tools that you use.
Procedure
Now here is where we get into the details. List out the Process and then break it down – focus on how to get the process done. Get as detailed as possible but remember: be clear and concise, don’t overcomplicate things! An S.O.P. doesn’t have to be complicated to be effective.
Tools & Resources
Link to any supporting documents, resources, or walkthrough Loom videos.
Once you put together these 5 categories, you have developed an S.O.P. that is clear are ready for your team! For even more help creating your S.O.P.s (and a really awesome example to follow), check out our FREE resource “Build Your Own S.O.P.”!
