SOPs, I Beg of You
Standard operating procedures will save you time and prevent needless mistakes, so why haven’t you made any for your small business? A super early-stage founder confided that even considering SOPs made her feel like she was putting the cart before the horse at this point in her company’s growth. I’ve also heard from a co-founding employee that they felt threatened by SOPs, reasoning that if they were to fully document their procedures, they’d render themselves replaceable — if anyone could do it, why keep them on the payroll?
Both of these instincts make sense, and both are wrong. SOPs aren’t premature, and they’re not a threat. They’re a safety net, a growth tool, and a mark of respect for yourself and your team.
You don’t have to wait until your process is perfect to start. In fact, don’t. The best SOPs usually begin as scrappy checklists or quick Loom recordings, then get refined over time. And far from making you replaceable, SOPs actually make you promotable. They free you from being the only person who can do a given task.
Without SOPs, you’re stuck carrying everything yourself: scrambling before PTO, writing emergency handoffs when you’re sick, or being the only one who can fix things. With them, your work becomes sustainable. You can grow into bigger responsibilities, and your team becomes resilient instead of fragile.
Consider me your operations fairy godmother, begging you to document your processes. Let’s talk about how you can get started.
How to Actually Make an SOP
SOPs don’t have to be complicated, but there are some tricks that make them genuinely useful (and not just another document no one reads).
1. Write for the future new hire
Don’t write it for yourself — write it for the person who shows up six months from now with zero context. If they can follow it without guessing, you’re good. If they’d get lost halfway through, you’ve got work to do.
2. Start scrappy, keep it alive
SOPs aren’t stone tablets. A messy checklist today beats a “perfect” document that never exists. Date them, review them, and update as your process evolves.
Pro move: add an “Update SOP?” checkbox to your project postmortem or quarterly check-in templates. It’s the easiest way to capture improvements while they’re still fresh.
3. Show, don’t just tell
Some processes are painful to explain in text. Record a five-minute Loom, drop in screenshots, or embed a GIF of the workflow. Pair visuals with a quick checklist so people can scan and replay as needed.
4. Pick the right format for the job
Checklists → short, repeatable tasks (posting to social, submitting invoices).
Step-by-step guides → detailed workflows (running payroll, onboarding a client).
Decision trees → situations with forks in the road (if X happens, do Y; if not, do Z).
5. Centralize and link
Your SOPs shouldn’t be scattered across random folders. Store them in one hub (Notion, Confluence, Guru — whatever you’ll actually use) and link them directly to the tasks or tools where they apply. No scavenger hunts.
Tools That Make SOPs Less Painful
Loom → Record once, replay forever. Great for walkthroughs and visual learners.
Notion → A natural home base. Docs, tasks, and databases all in one place.
Scribe → Automatically generate step-by-step screenshots while you work. Perfect for repetitive click paths.
Pro Tips (Even Seasoned Ops People Miss)
Add context at the top. A quick “Why this exists” keeps people from treating it like busywork.
List prerequisites. What has to be true before you start? (e.g., “Download the template,” “Have VPN access.”)
Assign ownership. Every SOP should list “last updated by” and who owns it. Accountability builds trust.
Include escalation paths. What happens if the process breaks? Who do you call, where’s the backup?
Archive, don’t delete. Old SOPs can be useful references. Label them as outdated and *keep them in a dedicated archive location*.
Layer the details. Put the short version up top (for veterans), then add the full walkthrough below (for novices).
Schedule a lifecycle review. Quarterly or bi-annual audits keep SOPs alive and trustworthy.
SOP vs. Playbook: What’s the Difference?
They overlap, but they’re not the same.
SOPs = step-by-step instructions for specific tasks. “How to submit an invoice.”
Playbooks = strategies and best practices for broader situations. “How we handle crisis comms” or “Our sales team’s approach to cold outreach.”
Think of SOPs as recipes, and playbooks as cookbooks. You need both, but they serve different purposes.
If you’d rather have someone else build out a whole library of SOPs for your business, I can help.