Getting started with business systems and procedures
Standard operating procedures, systems, and processes are amazing because they keep everyone on the same page, keep client work consistent, reduce errors, and, honestly, take some of the thinking out of repetitive tasks and projects. Instead of setting up every project or procedure from scratch, you just look to your existing procedures and tweak them for your current project.
But, creating your own systems is easier said than done. It’s quite literally like taking a recipe that you’ve been improvising and cooking by heart for years and trying to write it down. It’s harder than it sounds and, takes some work to get it just right, even though you’ve been cooking it for ages. But, having a written recipe comes in handy for consistency, grocery shopping, and passing along your secret sauce to prying family members. The effort of writing it down is more than worth it in the long-term.
Getting started:
Pick one process to start with: Building systems for everythinggg is a mammoth undertaking. And, the best way to eat a mammoth is one bite at a time. Start with one process and work your way thru it. This could either be new client onboarding, your main service offering, invoicing, whatever. Once you’ve got one done, have figured out how detailed you want your procedures to be, and what tech you like working with, then you can outline the rest of your processes.
Start with good enough: Your first version is gonna suck and that’s okay. The first version of everything sucks. (For example, the first version of this newsletter sucked 😬) But, you just need to dump all your thoughts about your process and the steps it takes into a first draft. And, it’s okay if that draft is rough around the edges, it’s just a draft. Open a fresh Doc (Google, Word, Pages, or even a paper notebook), then mentally run thru your process, and write down every step you can think of. Then, set it aside for a few hours, and when you’re fresh, run thru it again and add anything you missed. Don’t use a task/project manager to capture the first draft.
Improve and iterate: After finishing your first draft, there are a few ways you can improve and iterate on it. You can either 1) immediately create templates in your task/project management software, trial it live, and tweak the templates, 2) keep running your business as you have been while adding notes to and fleshing out your draft then create templates, or 3) ‘borrow’ someone else’s procedures and combine them with yours. But, remember, improving and iterating is a never-ending process, so don’t wait until your procedures are perfect to implement them.
Software: There are a lot of task/project management software options out there. (Like, a lot, a lot). Try not to get caught up in the analysis paralysis of all your options. The most important part of a written process is the process itself and not the tech you use to manage it. And, most task/project management software is functionally similar. So, the best one is the one that you will regularly use. Find what works for you and move on. (Some good options include Todoist, Monday, Trello, Asana, ClickUp, and Teamwork Projects. I use Todoist for the bulk of my task management.)
Action Item: Pick a business process and draft your system.