SOP stands for standard operating procedure, and it sounds more corporate than it is. An SOP is just a task written down clearly enough that someone else can do it without texting you. If you've ever thought "it's faster if I just do it myself," you need a few of these.
Why one page
Long process documents don't get read. They get opened once, skimmed, and abandoned. One page forces you to keep only what matters, and it's easy to update when something changes.
The one-page SOP template
Copy this and fill it in:
- Task name: What is this? ("Send a new client welcome packet")
- Why it matters: One sentence. ("Sets expectations so the client knows what happens next.")
- When it happens: The trigger. ("Within 24 hours of a signed contract.")
- Who owns it: One name or role.
- Tools needed: Logins, templates, links.
- Steps: Numbered. Start each with a verb. Keep them short.
- Done looks like: How do you know it's finished? ("Client has the packet and it's logged in the tracker.")
- Common mistakes: One or two things that tend to go wrong.
How to write it in 20 minutes
Don't write it from memory. Write it while you're doing the task. Open a blank doc, do the task as usual, and type each step as you go. Add screenshots if a step involves clicking around in software.
Then hand it to someone else and watch them follow it. Every question they ask is a gap. Fill it in.
Which tasks to document first
- Anything you do every week
- Anything you've had to explain more than twice
- Anything that would stall if you were sick for a week
Where to keep your SOPs
One shared folder or one workspace, like Google Drive or Notion, with a simple naming pattern: "SOP – Client Welcome Packet." If it's not easy to find, it doesn't exist.
Start with one
Pick the task that annoys you most this week and write it down. Next week, do another. In two months, your business runs a little more without you holding all of it.
Want help turning what's in your head into a set of simple SOPs? Book a discovery call and we'll map out where to start.
