SOPs may sound like something that you would put in place in a government job or on a factory floor. But Standard Operating Procedures are critical for ANY company, especially a small business. SOPs are documented processes and they give your business structure and consistency. Yes, it is a commitment to get them in place. BUT if you think about it as a long-term investment in your business, you will definitely see the payoff! Here are 5 reasons that you MUST have SOPs for your company!

1. Consistency

The one thing you want in allll of your projects is consistency. You should deliver the same fabulous results to every single client, no matter the size of the project or the budget. Having processes and procedures in place will keep things on task and delivered the same way, over and over and over. Without that consistency, you drop the ball and make mistakes. And that is definitely going to result in missed deadlines, blown budgets, and angry clients. Not good!

2. Productivity

This one should be obvious. You and your team are going to be much more efficient when the tasks and steps are clear for every single thing you do. If you don't have to reinvent the wheel with each project, it frees your time to focus on getting new clients, marketing your business, and the thousands of other tasks that go with running your business. AND you should have SOPs for every single aspect of your business, like that marketing that you need to do. Keep your business humming like a well-oiled machine because time really IS money.

3. Onboarding and Outsourcing

Imagine how much easier it would be to get a new hire up to speed if you had SOPs to hand over on their first day. There is no better way to kick of a training program than by giving a new employee an easy-to-follow guide! SOPs also help when you are outsourcing tasks to contracted employees and subs. It lets everyone know exactly what you expect for each task and process. And it makes delegating to your employees super-simple, too. Just be sure that you assign clear deadlines to each stop in your SOPs, too.

4. Avoid Errors

A mistake is not only embarrassing and frustrating, but it can also cost you a fortune. Those mistakes can also throw your entire team off their game. If everyone is scrambling to fix something, it keeps them from focusing on their own tasks and assignments. So not only do you often have to pay for the actual mistake, you also lose productivity and time as your team loses focus. ACK. Minimize mistakes and errors by having plenty of checklists included in your SOPs.

5. Clear Expectations

SOPs ensure that your team knows EXACTLY what you expect from them. And that includes the deadlines that you expect them to meet. But what you may not realize is that SOPs also give your clients and idea of what they can expect from YOU and your team! It keeps everyone on the same page. 

To help you get your SOPs in place, check out my Design Business Blueprint! It helps you elevate and automate your design projects with powerful templates, strategic insights and a supportive community! Just click here!

PS. Don't forget to watch the YouTube video here: