SOPs are no one’s idea of a good time. They’re not creative, they’re not sexy, and they’re definitely not the reason you started a business. But if you’re working with a Virtual Assistant or a remote team through LinkedVA, standard operating procedures are the thing that stops your business falling apart every time someone gets sick, quits, or disappears into the void.
And here’s the part most founders don’t want to admit. You’re not avoiding SOPs because you’re disorganised. You’re avoiding them because you’re slammed. You’re running at full speed and the idea of sitting down to write a manual feels impossible. That’s normal. The solution is simpler than you think.
Why You Don’t Have SOPs Yet
Most people only start caring about SOPs once they’re already drowning. Your workload is insane, you’re multitasking like a circus act, and you finally hire someone because you desperately need a second brain.
Except there’s no documentation. So you give them a quick, half-explained rundown, they ask fifty follow up questions, and you start thinking, “Maybe I should have waited until things were more organised.”
No. You should have hired earlier and documented less. Messy is fine. Done is better.
The Fastest Way to Build SOPs When You’re Busy
Here’s the scrappy version that actually works and doesn’t steal your entire week.
Step 1: Record yourself doing the task
Open Zoom, share your screen, and talk through what you’re doing. Explain what good looks like, what bad looks like, and why you make certain choices. It must be recorded so your team can replay it.
Step 2: Let them try it
Give them the task. Watch their first attempt. Give clean, simple feedback.
Step 3: Get them to write the SOP
Once they can do it well, they turn your recording into a written process. You review, approve, and refine it together.
It’s fast. It’s realistic. And it stops you getting stuck in perfection paralysis.
The Structure That Makes SOPs Work
Once you move beyond Loom chaos, build your SOPs using three simple parts: context, timing, and steps.
Context explains why the task matters. This is what helps your team make decisions when something unexpected happens. For example, “We format graphics so the brand looks credible, not like a dodgy side hustle.” Suddenly they know which creative choices to avoid without having to ask.
Timing sets expectations without micromanaging. Think “Do this daily by 4pm” or “Review this every Monday.” It keeps people on track without tying them to unrealistic time estimates.
Steps are the how. Clear, checkable, and written like instructions for someone smart, not someone clueless. Dot points are fine here because they improve clarity without overwhelming anyone.
If you want to take it up a level, add a good versus bad example. It’s especially helpful for anything subjective like LinkedIn posts or client reports. People learn faster when they can see the difference.
What’s Actually Worth Documenting
You don’t need to SOP your personality, judgement, or common sense. But anything repeatable, boring, or misunderstood? That’s fair game.
Think:
- Sending proposals
- Uploading podcast episodes
- Onboarding clients
- Posting on LinkedIn in a way that sounds human
If you do it more than twice and you hate explaining it, document it. This is how you scale without working more hours.
Final Thoughts
If you want to be the CEO, not the bottleneck, you need systems that live outside your head. A good SOP makes average staff great faster. It protects your standards. And it frees your brain for the work that actually moves your business forward.
So this week, choose one task. Record yourself doing it, or write the context, timing, and steps. Then hand it over.
You’re building a business that doesn’t collapse when you take a day off. That’s the real win.
