How to Write a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) In Your Business

In this blog post, we are going to be talking about standard operating procedures - you may know them as working procedures. I am going to be giving you some best practices and top tips to when it comes to creating your own standard operating procedures as you delicate tasks to your team. Whether that is your team in person, or whether you have got a great team across the world, and virtual assistants. This is a great strategy on how you can effectively achieve the goal that you have when it comes to delegating tasks. 

That is your team being able to actually do those tasks correctly, so that you are giving them the training, the tools and the resources to them, for them to be able to achieve what it is that you want them to do. 

So, in this blog post, I am going to be giving you the 5 best practices.

SOP Best Practice 1

So, number one. If you can create videos and share your screen on that specific task being completed. You can create videos doing step-by-steps on how something should be done, or you could share your screen and show your computer, where you are essentially talking them through every step of the process. Your team member will then be able to see in full detail how they are able to do that task, they can hear you explaining the task, and ultimately, they can follow along - they can pause, and go back to rewatch a step they may have missed out on.

SOP Best Practice 2

The second practice is to write them up. So instead of just having a video created, they also have a document to follow through, too. This document will be filled with different instructions you are wanting your team members to complete, and how to do that specific task. So number two is, if you have got that document, then to share screenshots and arrows to clearly point out what needs to be done.

SOP Best Practice 3

Number 3 is to be super specific. Do not assume that they will know anything. So, step 1, for example, needs to possibly explain which website they're going to need to use. Be as detailed as you possibly can, this way you are not assuming anything.

SOP Best Practice 4

 Number 4 is to ask your team to contribute by creating the working procedures for you as a team, whether they are creating it themselves, then sharing it with you, and you letting them know that they're not quite right, or whatever the case may be. By getting them to contribute by creating your first version, giving it to your team, your team then follows that, then gets stuck, gives you feedback, you unstuck them, you give them more instructions, then they know exactly what they should be doing to get over that hurdle. 

SOP Best Practice 5

Then number 5 is to test your working procedures to someone who has no idea about the task. If you have got multiple team members doing different roles, you could then test your working procedures with someone who may have no idea on what it is that you are talking about. You have then essentially created your Ikea instruction manual, and they should then be able to complete the tasks per criteria and to your standard.

Further reading:

https://www.systemisefulfilment.co.uk/blog/how-to-10x-your-business-with-virtual-assistants

Is Amazon FBA (eCommerce) Success Possible Part Time?

7 Things Successful Amazon Sellers Do