Operations
SMB SOP: write it, then automate it
I'm Drew. I started SMB Ops because AI is easy and operations are hard. An SMB SOP is the page that says how a job gets done when you are not the one doing it. SOP automation is what you turn on after that page is true.
What an SOP is for a small business
An SOP is a standard operating procedure. In a small business that means a short page for a job you do more than once: who does it, what starts it, the steps in order, and what done looks like.
I write them for the person who was not in the room when I figured it out. If they have to call me to open the shop, send the invoice, or run payroll week, the SOP is not done. The glossary has the short definition. This page is the working version.
AI will draft the page in a minute. That part is easy. The hard part is noticing that the draft is wrong, because the real step lives in someone's head. You still have to walk the job once and fix the page.
How I write one
- 1.Name the trigger and the done state. Trigger is when the job starts. Done is what a stranger can see when it is finished.
- 2.One owner. If two people kind of do it, pick the person who does it on a bad Tuesday.
- 3.Steps in the order they happen. Start with a verb. Name the tool or the physical thing. 'Process the invoice' is not a step.
- 4.The failure step. What they do when the email bounces, the drawer is short, or the file is missing.
- 5.Keep it to one page. If it is longer, you are writing down two jobs. Split them.
How SOP automation works
SOP automation is the tool doing the steps that are the same every time. It is not a substitute for the page. I automate invoice mailing only after the SOP says what "sent" means, who may send it, and what happens when the email bounces.
Same idea for SMB marketing automation. The email sequence and the social posts are SOPs with a send button. Write who it is for and when it stops, then turn on the tool. Buying another marketing app before that is how the drafts pile up.
- 1.Mark each step as a person, a tool, or not sure.
- 2.Automate the tool steps that already happen the same way every time. Send the invoice. File the reminder. Create the task.
- 3.Leave the judgment with a person. The weird refund, the angry customer, the first payroll in a new state.
- 4.Put the SOP where the new hire will see it. A Notion page works. A Google Doc works. A binder nobody opens does not.
- 5.Review one SOP a week. The weekly review template is for that, not for rewriting the whole company on a Friday.
The marketing sequences live with the email marketing guides and the social prompts.
SOP templates and prompts
These are free. Copy the prompt, fill in your facts, and paste the result into the doc your team already opens.
The blank form. Use it when you can describe the job but the steps are still in your head.
A one-page open: who unlocks, what gets checked, and what stops the doors from opening.
The sheet when a vendor delivery arrives. What was ordered, what showed up, damage, partials, who signs, and where it goes. No guessed quantities.
How an invoice gets sent and chased. This is the page I use before anyone talks about automating invoice mailing.
Thirty minutes on the one process that broke this week, and the edit that keeps the SOP honest.
Thirty minutes once a week. Cash in the operating account, deposits that do not match an invoice, who is past due, and which bills you will pay in the next 7 days.
Thirty minutes once a week. What is on the shelf, the reorder number you already use, which purchase orders are still open, and what you will order. No guessed quantities.
Thirty minutes once a week. Who is on the schedule, which shifts are still open, who covers, and the time off you already wrote. No guessed names or hours.
Fifteen to twenty minutes after you post a job. The questions, a 1 to 5 scorecard with pass, hold, and reject, and the text for a next step or a polite no.
The last-day list when someone leaves: access, their open work, the equipment, the final paycheck, and what you tell the team and the clients.
Put the finished SOPs where a new hire can find the one for their role.
The short definition, if you only need the term.
The longer documentation set, if you are writing the whole shop down at once.
The rest of the operations prompts, including onboarding and client updates.
Frequently asked questions
What is an SOP for a small business?
An SOP is a short written procedure for a job you do more than once. For a small business it names who does it, what starts it, the steps in order, and what 'done' looks like. If a new hire cannot follow it on a Tuesday without calling you, it is not an SOP yet.
How long should an SMB SOP be?
One page. If it runs longer, you usually have two or three jobs glued together. Split them. A checklist the opener can hold in one hand beats a manual nobody opens.
What is SOP automation?
SOP automation is letting a tool do the steps that are the same every time, after the SOP says what those steps are. Sending the invoice, filing the reminder, and creating the task are automation. Deciding the weird exception is still a person.
Should I automate a process before I write the SOP?
No. I have watched people buy a tool for a process they could not explain. Write the trigger, the steps, and the failure case first. Then mark which steps a tool can do. The software is the easy part.
What goes on a weekly cash and bills check?
Thirty minutes, once a week. Write the cash in the operating account, deposits that did not match an invoice, charges you do not recognize, invoices past due and who follows up, and bills due in the next 7 days with pay or hold. If a charge is not obvious, do not guess the category. Ask your bookkeeper. This is not payroll and not a tax filing. Confirm tax, payroll, sales tax, and what is deductible with your bookkeeper or accountant before you record a number you did not look up.
What goes on a receiving and delivery check-in?
The sheet you run when a vendor delivery arrives. Write the supplier, the purchase order you already have, what was ordered, what showed up, any damage you already saw, any partial you already marked, who signs, and where the accepted goods go. If you did not count it, leave the line blank. Do not invent a quantity, a supplier, a price, a damage claim, or a signature. This is not an inventory valuation, not a dispute letter, and not legal advice. The weekly stock count is a different page. Confirm cost, a credit, and what you owe a supplier with your bookkeeper or accountant before you record a dollar amount you did not look up.
What goes on a weekly stock count and purchase order check?
Thirty minutes, once a week. Write what is on the shelf, the reorder number you already use, what is already on a purchase order, and what you decided to order. If you did not count it, leave the line blank. Do not invent a quantity, a supplier, a price, or a date. This is not a full inventory valuation and not a tax count. Confirm cost, sales tax, and what you owe a supplier with your bookkeeper or accountant before you record a dollar amount you did not look up.
What goes on a weekly staff schedule and coverage check?
Thirty minutes, once a week. Write who is scheduled, the open shifts you already marked, who covers, and the time off you already approved. If a shift has no name, leave it open. Do not invent a person, a shift, hours, or a pay rate. This is not payroll, not a handbook rewrite, and not legal advice on overtime or classification. Confirm pay and labor rules with your advisor before you record a rate you did not look up.
What goes on a phone screen and candidate scorecard?
Fifteen to twenty minutes for one role. Read a short opener, then six to ten questions from the must-haves, the schedule, the pay range, and how they get to the job. Each question says what a useful answer sounds like and what a vague one sounds like. Score the lines 1 to 5. A score of 1 on the schedule, the pay range, getting to the job, or a must-have you wrote is a reject. Otherwise pass is 3.5 or higher with must-haves at 3 or above, and hold is the band under that. Keep every question on the work. Do not ask age, family plans, religion, national origin, or disability. This is general good practice, not legal advice. Confirm the questions with an employment advisor before you treat the score as a reason to hire or reject. The job posting and the welcome email are different pages.
What do I put on an employee offboarding checklist?
The last day, and a name on every line. Remove access that day: shared logins, email, the POS, the CRM, bank and card logins, Google or Microsoft, door codes and keys. Name who takes their open work and their clients. Get the equipment back the same day. Ask your payroll provider what they need for the final paycheck and for benefits, and confirm your state's rule with them or an employment attorney before you promise a date. Then tell the team and the clients who to call next.