Feeling stuck in the weeds? Here’s how to break free.

Every business hits a ceiling without clear processes. This usually manifests as the founder getting stuck in the weeds, mistakes happening inconsistently, or the business feeling fragile – like everything will break the moment you leave.

If you are at this point, someone may have suggested an SOP for you.

SOPs get stuck easily. They either get horribly complicated and turn into a 40-page Google Doc that no one reads, or it puts them off indefinitely because things change quickly, or you’re afraid to get started.

Both approaches miss the mark.

SOPs are not about perfection. Done right, they’re living documents that reduce decision fatigue and make your business easier to operate, scale, and scale.

Let’s break down what SOPs actually are and how to write ones that people will actually use.

What exactly is SOP?

A SOP – a standard operating procedure – is simply a documented way of doing something consistently.

A good SOP is simple and describes the outcome you are trying to achieve, the process owner, how to get there, and a simple description of each step in the process.

If someone new joined your team tomorrow and followed the SOP exactly, they should be able to complete the task without guessing.

You don’t need SOPs for everything on day one. SOPs usually start with the most important processes in your business. These are the ones that happen repeatedly, have a significant impact on business success, and are narrow on your end. It can help to start with SOPs for processes that would ideally be owned by someone else.

If you’re still not sure where SOPs can help, here are some common types of SOPs:

• Onboarding for clients or team members

• Invoicing and billing

• Lead the follow-up and sales process

• Customer support

• Monthly finances

In short, if you answer the same question more than twice, it’s an SOP waiting to be written.

A simple SOP structure to get you started

You don’t need fancy templates. And please don’t just throw it at the AI ​​tools and hope for the best! Instead, use this SOP structure as a starting point for your first draft:

Title, Owner and Purpose

Tools used

Step by step instructions

That’s it, you have the SOP!

How to write SOPs without slowing down your business

The best SOPs are written while the job is in progress. The various screen recording and AI transcription tools available make this even easier as a process.

Here’s a practical way to do it without thinking:

1. Do the task once. Plan to slow down slightly and pretend someone is watching over your shoulder.

2. Write it down (or dictate) as you go. You can speak into a voice memo, record yourself with Loom, or talk to your favorite AI tool. You can also open a document and jot down the steps, simply and as unorganized as needed – don’t worry about perfection.

3. Make sure you capture your decision. Don’t just say “send email”. Instead, tell which template to use and how to decide when to use it

4. Drop this initial version into the AI ​​tool and ask for it to be rewritten or refined depending on what your initial version was. Don’t forget to ask the AI ​​to keep it simple!

Remember, you can always refine later. An imperfect SOP in use today is more valuable than a perfect SOP that is never written down or used.

What makes a usable SOP

If you want people to actually follow SOPs, they need to be short enough to scan and written in clear and direct language.

If it’s more than two or three pages long, it’s probably too long. Use clear, numbered steps and write exactly what you want someone to do. It should feel more like a checklist than an essay.

Once you have it written, make sure it is stored in a place where your team can easily access and use it. Where you store it is also important so your team can actually use it. Great options include Google Drive or a similar tool with a clear naming and folder structure, or in your team’s project management tool. Wherever they live, they should be centralized and clearly named.

Maintaining SOP without busy work

SOPs are living documents. If they never change, they become irrelevant. This means that maintaining SOP is no one’s favorite task.

An easy approach is to assign an owner to each SOP – someone who is responsible for a regular review, called monthly or quarterly, to update it for any changes or ambiguities. Keep the “last updated” date at the top so each user is aware of how it’s updated.

A great way to find out if SOPs need updating is to allow your team to leave comments on parts of the SOP that they find confusing or outdated. This makes maintaining SOPs part of your regular routine and a team effort.

SOP payout

If you’re still not convinced, let’s talk about the benefits of well-written SOPs. They certainly save time, but they also greatly simplify delegation, improve the client experience, streamline onboarding, and generally stabilize your operations. They also set your business up to be bought one day, if that is your goal, as they are a clear sign of a well-run business and make it easy for a new owner to enter.

This increases significantly as your business grows too, with ROI on SOP estimated at over 60% for growing businesses. Making this small investment will lead to big profits down the road.

You don’t need hundreds of SOPs. Pick just a few to start with, keep them simple, keep them imperfect, and repeat.

Every business hits a ceiling without clear processes. This usually manifests as the founder getting stuck in the weeds, mistakes happening inconsistently, or the business feeling fragile – like everything will break the moment you leave.

If you are at this point, someone may have suggested an SOP for you.