
Does the thought of stepping away from your business, even if only for a day, give you anxiety?
It doesn’t have to. There is a simple answer…SOPs.
SOPs- Standard Operating Procedure is the system specific to your business’s operations (tasks/ the day to day) that describe the activities necessary to keep your business running smoothly. Every (and I mean every) business needs to have SOPs in place.
BUT here are some common rebuttals…..
“I don’t have a team.”
You might not have a team now, but as your business grows, which it will, you will need to bring on team members so you can concentrate on what you do best! Not to mention, life happens; what if you have an unpredicted circumstance and you need to outsource ASAP? Or what if you take a tropical vacation? Having SOPs ready to go will make finding a temporary or new hire a lot easier and trust me this needs to happen BEFORE you hire.
“My team members and I could do our jobs in our sleep!”
While I have no doubt that you and your team are rockstars at what you do, taking some time to do the SOPs process not only helps your business be prepared to grow but creating systems is a great way to audit your day to day tasks for changes that could be made to make your business, and how you are using your time, more efficient.
“I am always available to my team and clients to answer their questions.”
Frankly, you should not be on call 24/7. If that’s you, you are on the fast track to burnout. Start by setting some boundaries with your clients and your phone. Next, start making SOPs. Having systems laid out and explained to team members and clients enables them to find the answers to their own questions much of the time. Plus giving them the tools they need to succeed helps everyone to achieve and perform better.
Setting your business up for success.
Creating SOPs does not have to be an overwhelmingly daunting task. Start with things you do daily, even if it seems easy and self-explanatory. Remember, friend, it seems that way to you because YOU created the system, and the task has been something you have done daily for weeks, months, or even years! Simply record a loom of you doing something you will do anyways – easy peazy!
If you need help creating SOPs or finding a teammate to run those SOPs, sign up for a VIP day with me! Are all your systems and SOPs up to date?