If you went on holiday for two weeks, could your business keep running without a phone call to you every other hour?
For a lot of small business owners, the honest answer is no. Not because the team isn't capable, but because the "how" lives in one person's head. How we onboard a client. How we send an invoice. How we reply to an enquiry. When it isn't written down anywhere, everybody has to ask, and the business can only move as fast as the person who knows.
That's what a standard operating procedure, or SOP, fixes. And writing one is much simpler than it sounds.
What is an SOP?
An SOP is a written set of steps that explains how to complete a task the same way, every time. It can be a one-page checklist, a short document with screenshots, or a quick screen recording with notes underneath. The format matters far less than this: someone who has never done the task before should be able to follow it and get it right.
Why a small business needs SOPs
You stop being the bottleneck. Questions get answered by the document, not by you.
Work is done the same way every time. Clients get a consistent experience, whoever is handling them.
Training gets faster. A new hire or virtual assistant can get up to speed without weeks of shadowing.
Mistakes become easier to fix. When something goes wrong, you can see which step was missed and improve it.
Your business becomes easier to grow. You can only hand off work you can explain.
Which processes should you document first?
Don't try to write an SOP for everything at once. Start with tasks that are:
Done often, like daily or weekly
Easy to get wrong, or costly when they go wrong
Things you'd like to hand off to someone else
For most small businesses, good first candidates are onboarding a new client, responding to a new enquiry, sending and following up on invoices, posting to social media, and filing documents. If you've already set up a simple folder system (our guide to organising your business files in Google Drive walks you through one), you'll have an obvious home for your SOPs too.
How to write an SOP in 7 steps
1. Pick one process and set its start and end
Be specific. "Client onboarding" is vague. "From the moment a client pays the deposit to the moment we hold the kick-off call" is clear. Knowing exactly where the process starts and stops keeps the SOP focused and stops it turning into a novel.
2. Do the task and capture it as you go
The easiest way to write an SOP is to do the task once while you record what you're doing. Jot down each step, take screenshots, or use a free screen-recording tool and talk through what you're clicking. You'll remember small steps you'd otherwise skip, because you're actually doing them.
3. Write the steps in plain language
Turn your notes into a numbered list. A few rules make a big difference:
One action per step.
Start each step with a verb: "Open", "Send", "Save", "Check".
Use the same names your team uses for things, not formal terms nobody says out loud.
If a step needs a decision, spell it out: "If the client has paid, go to step 6. If not, send the reminder template."
4. Add the details people get stuck on
Think about where a new person would pause. Which template do they use? Where is the folder? What should the email subject line say? Add links to templates and folders, and screenshots for anything that's easy to miss. Never put passwords inside an SOP. Note where access is managed instead, so logins stay secure.
5. Give it an owner and a review date
Every SOP should say who is responsible for keeping it up to date and when it was last checked. Tools and processes change. An SOP that's two years out of date can cause more confusion than having none at all.
6. Test it with someone else
Hand the SOP to a team member, or a friend if you work alone, and ask them to follow it without your help. Watch where they hesitate or ask a question. Each of those moments shows you a step that needs to be clearer.
7. Store it where your team can find it
An SOP nobody can find doesn't exist. Keep all your SOPs in one shared place, such as a "Processes" folder in Google Drive, a shared Notion page or your project management tool, with clear, consistent names like "SOP – Client Onboarding".
A simple SOP template you can copy
Use these headings for every SOP so they all look and work the same way:
Title: what the process is, for example "Sending a client invoice".
Purpose: one sentence on why this process matters.
Who does it: the role responsible, not just a name.
When it happens: the trigger, such as "when a project milestone is approved".
What you need: tools, templates and folders, with links.
Steps: the numbered list of actions.
What "done" looks like: how to know the task is complete.
Owner and last reviewed: who keeps it updated, and when it was last checked.
Common SOP mistakes to avoid
Writing too much. If a step needs three paragraphs, it's probably three steps.
Writing for yourself. You already know the shortcuts. Write for someone on their first day.
Documenting the ideal, not the reality. Write down how the task is actually done, then improve it.
Setting and forgetting. Review your SOPs every few months, and whenever a tool or process changes.
Trying to do everything at once. One good SOP a week adds up quickly.
Once a few of your processes are written down, you'll also start to spot steps that don't need a person at all. That's where simple automation comes in. Our post on tasks small business owners can automate is a good next step.
Need help getting your processes on paper?
Writing SOPs is one of those jobs that's important but never urgent, so it keeps getting pushed back. At FirstGen Pro VAs, we help small businesses get organised behind the scenes, from setting up systems to keeping processes clear and easy to hand off.
Take a look at our Business Systems & Setup services or book a free consultation and tell us which process you'd like to get out of your head first.
Frequently asked questions
What does SOP stand for?
SOP stands for standard operating procedure. It's a documented, step-by-step way of completing a task so it's done consistently, no matter who does it.
How long should an SOP be?
As short as it can be while still being complete. Many good SOPs fit on one page. If yours is getting very long, it may be covering more than one process and could be split.
Can I use video instead of a written SOP?
Yes. A short screen recording works well for computer-based tasks. Add a written list of the key steps underneath so people can follow along without rewatching the whole video.
How often should SOPs be updated?
Review them every few months, and update them straight away when a tool, price or process changes. Adding a "last reviewed" date to each one makes this easy to track.
Do I need SOPs if I'm a one-person business?
It helps more than you'd think. SOPs save you from relying on memory, make busy weeks easier, and mean you're ready the day you bring on your first assistant or team member.
