What are SOPs and why every small business needs them
If you’ve ever thought, “I know I’ve done this before, but how did I do it last time?”, you’re not alone.
Running a small business, especially as a solopreneur, often means juggling dozens of repeat tasks: onboarding clients, sending invoices, publishing content, managing your inbox (and the list goes on and on!). And when everything lives in your head? That’s a recipe for overwhelm, mistakes and serious decision fatigue.
Enter: SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures).
Yes, the name sounds a little dry (my background is in the corporate pharmaceutical industry, which is heavily regulated and so we lived by our SOPs!!). But these quiet little systems are one of the most powerful tools in a solopreneur’s toolkit. They’re what make it possible to grow without chaos, delegate without micro-managing and take time off without your business falling apart.
What is an SOP, really?
Let’s strip away the jargon. At its core, an SOP is simply:
“A clear, repeatable way of doing something that works, which is written down or recorded so someone else could follow it too.”
That’s it. Pretty straightforward, right?
Your SOPs might be:
A bullet-point checklist in Google Docs
A step-by-step Asana task template
A Loom video recording of you walking through a process
A shared folder of swipe files and how-tos
They don’t need to be perfect. They just need to be clear. The goal isn’t to have everything polished… it’s ease.
Why SOPs are needed by small business owners
Here’s what happens when you start building SOPs:
1. You free up brain space
No more “Wait, how do I do that again?” moments. You can follow the steps without overthinking or, even better, pass the task to someone else.
2. You reduce errors and inconsistency
Whether it’s client onboarding or blog publishing, SOPs ensure your quality stays high and consistent, even if you’re not doing the task yourself.
3. You stop being the bottleneck
When everything lives in your head, you become the default answer to every question. SOPs let others step in and they’ll still be doing it your way.
4. You build trust in your business and yourself
Clear systems give you confidence. In your processes. In your people. In your ability to step away without everything falling apart.
5. You lay the foundation to grow
Want to outsource? Onboard a VA? Scale your offers? SOPs make it possible. They’re the invisible scaffolding that holds your business up as it grows.
When should you create an SOP?
If you’ve done something more than once, it’s worth writing down.
Look at your week and ask:
What tasks am I repeating?
What do I wish I could hand off?
What do I keep reinventing from scratch?
Here are common SOP-worthy tasks:
Client onboarding and offboarding
Sending invoices or proposals
Publishing blog posts or podcasts
Email marketing campaigns
Social media scheduling
Hosting a webinar or masterclass
Weekly or monthly planning rituals
How to create your first SOP
Here’s a simple, no-fuss way to get started:
Pick one task you do often
Start small. Choose a task you repeat often — like sending a welcome email to new clients.Do the task as normal, but record it
Use Loom or just open a Google Doc. Talk yourself through each step as you go.Write out the steps
Keep it simple: Step 1, Step 2, etc. Include links, templates and notes.Save it somewhere accessible
I keep mine in my Google drive, and they are linked within an SOP project inside Asana, but you could use Notion, ClickUp… whatever you’ll actually use.Test it out
Hand it over to a VA (or even your future self). Does it work? Tweak as needed.Rinse and repeat
Build one SOP at a time. Before long, you’ll have a solid operations toolkit.
What if SOPs aren’t your thing?
Let’s be real: if you’re overwhelmed, burnt out or deep in client delivery, sitting down to document processes can feel like one more thing you don’t have time for.
That’s where I come in.
As a project management consultant for values-driven solopreneurs, I help clients:
Map out their recurring workflows
Create custom SOPs for everything from content creation to client delivery
Set up smart, human-first systems that support their goals (without corporate fluff)
If you’re ready to work smarter, delegate with ease, and finally stop being the bottleneck in your business… I’d love to help.
SOPs are like a gift to your future self.
They give you clarity. Confidence. Breathing room. Whether you’re scaling your team, recovering from burnout, or just trying to make business feel less messy - creating SOPs is one of the most powerful ways to step into your CEO role.
Start small. Keep it simple. Your future self (and your VA) will thank you.