Episode Details
Back to EpisodesHow to Write SOPs Before You Hire: Getting Your Business Out of Your Head
Description
You can't scale what only lives in your head. Before you hire a VA, an OBM, or your first employee, here's how to document your processes so they can actually do the work: what to write down, which tools make it easy, and the mistakes that make an SOP useless.
Getting everything out of your head and onto paper is what I do: https://www.lindspaulson.com
IN THIS EPISODE
- Why most business owners wait until they're drowning to document anything
- Hiring paperwork that protects you: job descriptions, handbooks, and policies
- Why your VA isn't your IT department
- If you do it more than once, it's a process worth writing down
- Start with a brain dump of every task on your calendar for a month
- Record the task as you do it (screen recording or voice memo) and clean it up later
- Store every SOP in one place your team can find
- What every SOP needs: why it matters, logins, time to complete, and what "done right" looks like
- Mistakes to avoid: acronyms, waiting for perfect, and documenting everything at once
TOOLS I USE FOR SOPS
Turn a screen recording into a written SOP with Kommodo: https://kommodo.ai/?via=lindsey
Store SOPs as tasks and checklists in ClickUp: https://app.clickup.com/signup?utm_source=in-app&utm_medium=owned&utm_campaign=inapp_owned_ar_ref_x_promo_all-devices_x_lp_in-app-referral_all-departments_x_settings&utm_term=9014462222_96155176&promo=SHARE10
Both are affiliate or referral links.
KEEP LISTENING
Your Business Needs a Skincare Routine (step two: automating what you've documented)
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ABOUT YOUR HOST
Linds Paulson is the founder of Sunday Ops Co. She helps busy women business owners build simple systems so their business feels easy like Sunday.
Want to know about the systems I talk about on the show? Get the weekly Sunday Ops email to see what systems you can create to turn your mess into a mission.