Tag: SOP development

  • The 3 Most Common Operational Bottlenecks in Small Business (and How to Fix Them)

    The 3 Most Common Operational Bottlenecks in Small Business (and How to Fix Them)

    Running a small business means wearing multiple hats, juggling competing priorities, and constantly putting out fires. But when daily operations become a constant source of stress—or worse, stall your growth—it’s usually due to hidden inefficiencies. Operational bottlenecks, left unresolved, can quietly choke progress, frustrate your team, and burn you out.

    The good news? Most bottlenecks in small businesses are fixable once you identify them and apply the right structure. In this post, we’ll explore the three most common operational chokepoints we see with clients—and walk you through how to fix them with practical, repeatable steps.

    1. Bottleneck: Everything Depends on You

    When every decision, task, or client issue funnels through you, progress grinds to a halt anytime you’re unavailable. This is one of the most common bottlenecks for solo entrepreneurs and small teams—especially in the early growth stage.

    Why It Happens

    Small business owners are often the most capable person on the team—and the most invested. That means they take on too much by default. But without intentional delegation, your business can’t scale beyond your personal capacity.

    This issue is especially common in businesses where:

    • There’s no clear delegation process
    • Employees aren’t empowered to make decisions
    • Documentation or SOPs are missing

    Real-World Example

    Maria, a boutique design agency owner, found herself working 70+ hour weeks. Her team constantly “checked in” before doing anything—sending designs, replying to clients, posting on social. She was the final gatekeeper for every task. Revenue stalled because she couldn’t step back to focus on growth.

    How to Fix It

    Step 1: Identify Repetitive or Low-Value Tasks You Handle

    List everything you do in a week. Highlight tasks someone else could reasonably own with training.

    Step 2: Create Simple SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures)

    Use a tool like Notion or Google Docs to document repeatable processes. Keep it simple—checklists and bullet points are enough to start.

    Step 3: Empower and Train Your Team

    Assign owners for specific functions (e.g., social media, client onboarding). Provide SOPs, set expectations, and allow them to make decisions within defined boundaries.

    Step 4: Review and Adjust

    Hold short weekly check-ins to coach, course-correct, and gradually hand over more responsibility.

    Pro Tip: Delegation is not abdication. Your job shifts from “doing” to “ensuring it gets done well.”

    2. Bottleneck: No Centralized Systems or Processes

    When team members all have different ways of doing the same task, or information lives in a dozen places, operational chaos ensues. Tasks fall through the cracks. Clients get inconsistent experiences. And internal communication becomes a constant source of friction.

    Why It Happens

    Small businesses often grow organically without setting up formal systems. At first, it works—everyone just “figures it out.” But as the business scales, the lack of structure creates confusion and rework.

    This often shows up as:

    • Missed deadlines or duplicated efforts
    • Vague roles and responsibilities
    • Over-reliance on memory or personal habits

    Real-World Example

    Josh runs a home services company with a small crew. Everyone used different apps to track jobs—some used text messages, others jotted down notes. When clients called to reschedule or had questions, no one knew who was responsible. Josh had to chase down answers himself—wasting hours every week.

    How to Fix It

    Step 1: Pick One Tool for Each Core Workflow

    Choose simple, scalable tools for your needs:

    • Project management → Trello, ClickUp, or Asana
    • Communication → Slack or Microsoft Teams
    • File storage → Google Drive or Dropbox

    Step 2: Standardize Your Processes

    Define one way to handle each recurring activity—client onboarding, invoicing, job tracking. Document it in a shared location.

    Step 3: Assign Clear Roles

    Every task should have an owner. Use a RACI chart (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) if helpful.

    Step 4: Train and Reinforce

    Walk your team through the new system. Reinforce usage in meetings and 1:1s. Update processes as you learn what works.

    Reminder: Tools don’t fix disorganization—processes do. The tool just supports the process.

    3. Bottleneck: No Visibility Into Key Metrics

    You can’t improve what you don’t measure. When you’re unsure where money, time, or energy is going, decisions become reactive instead of strategic. This leads to overspending, missed opportunities, and slow response times.

    Why It Happens

    Many small businesses run without real-time insight into performance. Financials may be reviewed monthly—if at all. Tasks are managed loosely. And there’s no clear way to spot issues early.

    This usually results from:

    • Lack of dashboards or reporting systems
    • No time set aside for data review
    • Disconnected tools that don’t speak to each other

    Real-World Example

    Tina runs an e-commerce brand and knew sales were inconsistent, but couldn’t pinpoint why. After reviewing her operations, we discovered that 40% of inventory costs came from one product line with razor-thin margins. No one had looked closely because they didn’t track SKU-level profitability.

    How to Fix It

    Step 1: Define 3–5 Core Metrics

    Pick a few key metrics to monitor weekly. Examples:

    • Revenue and profit margin
    • Customer acquisition cost (CAC)
    • Average project or order turnaround time
    • Number of open tasks or support tickets

    Step 2: Create a Simple Dashboard

    Use Google Sheets or a tool like Databox or Airtable. Pull data from your existing systems (QuickBooks, Shopify, CRMs, etc.).

    Step 3: Schedule Weekly Reviews

    Block 30 minutes each week to review your metrics. Look for red flags or trends. Use insights to adjust priorities.

    Step 4: Share the Numbers

    Share relevant metrics with your team. It builds accountability and helps everyone align on what matters most.

    Note: Don’t track everything. Track what drives decisions.

    Fix the Flow, Reclaim Your Time

    Operational bottlenecks aren’t just a nuisance—they’re growth killers. But every one of them is solvable with the right systems and leadership habits. By removing yourself as the single point of failure, standardizing how work gets done, and gaining visibility into your operations, you free up your most valuable asset: time to lead and grow your business.

    Ready to bring clarity and structure to your business? Schedule a free discovery call →

  • Build a Simple SOP: Step-by-Step for Small Teams

    If your team constantly asks how to do the same thing—or worse, does it differently every time—you don’t need better people. You need a better process.

    That process starts with a simple, well-written Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).

    SOPs help small teams reduce chaos, improve training, deliver consistent results, and free up the business owner from being the bottleneck.

    In this post, you’ll learn exactly how to write a simple, effective SOP—step-by-step—including structure templates, examples, and the tools I recommend for building a scalable internal knowledge base.

    What Is an SOP, and Why Does It Matter?

    An SOP is a documented process that outlines how a task or workflow is done, step-by-step.

    Think of it as a playbook entry. It ensures that anyone on your team can execute consistently—without needing to interrupt you or reinvent the wheel.

    SOPs Help You:

    • Onboard new team members faster
    • Delegate without micromanaging
    • Reduce errors and rework
    • Maintain quality as your business scales
    • Build repeatability into key parts of your operations

    In small teams, a good SOP is a multiplier: it turns your one-time effort into future efficiency.

    Common SOP Pitfalls (and How to Avoid Them)

    Before we build one, let’s address where most SOPs go wrong:

    ❌ Too vague

    “Run payroll” or “send newsletter” isn’t enough.
    Without clear steps, SOPs don’t reduce confusion—they just relocate it.

    ❌ Too complex

    A 20-page Google Doc is worse than no SOP at all.
    If it’s hard to follow or buried in jargon, it won’t be used.

    ❌ Not updated

    Your SOP should reflect how it’s done today, not how it was done 18 months ago.

    ❌ No owner

    Every SOP needs someone responsible for maintaining and improving it—especially as tools or workflows change.

    What Makes an SOP Work?

    Here’s what a strong SOP should always include:

    ElementDescription
    TitleClear, action-based, searchable (e.g., “How to Invoice a Client”)
    PurposeOne sentence about what this SOP covers and why it matters
    OwnerWho maintains this SOP
    Tools NeededAny software, templates, or links
    Step-by-Step InstructionsNumbered, skimmable, clear
    FAQs or NotesCommon edge cases or troubleshooting tips
    Last UpdatedTo signal relevance and maintenance

    Step-by-Step: How to Write an SOP That Actually Gets Used

    🧱 Step 1: Choose the Right Process

    Start with repeatable, high-leverage tasks that are done weekly or monthly.

    Examples:

    • Sending a client proposal
    • Publishing a blog post
    • Onboarding a new employee
    • Running payroll
    • Handling support tickets

    Ask yourself:

    “What process breaks down when I’m not directly involved?”

    That’s your first SOP candidate.

    ✍️ Step 2: Outline the Steps (Rough Draft)

    Don’t worry about formatting yet. Open a doc and brain-dump the steps as if you were explaining it out loud to a new hire.

    Use short phrases:

    • Log into [Tool]
    • Click “Export CSV”
    • Save file to [Folder]
    • Email to [Client]

    You can refine later—just get the sequence down.

    📑 Step 3: Structure and Format

    Turn your rough list into a clean format. I frequently draft documents using Markdown. It is an easy-to-learn, plain text format that can be written quickly in any text editor.

    You could quickly write text like this:

    ## How to Send a Weekly Report to Clients

**Purpose:**  
To ensure clients receive a consistent weekly summary of project status.

**Owner:**  
Operations Manager

**Tools Needed:**  
- ClickUp  
- Google Docs  
- Gmail  

**Steps:**  
1. Open the [Client Project Board] in ClickUp  
2. Review the week’s completed tasks  
3. Copy/paste into [Weekly Report Template] in Google Docs  
4. Customize insights or updates  
5. Export as PDF  
6. Email to client using saved draft in Gmail  

**Notes:**  
- Use the client’s preferred subject line: “Weekly Project Report – [Date]”  
- If no major progress, summarize current blockers and next steps

    And have it output to something like this:

    How to Send a Weekly Report to Clients

    Purpose:
    To ensure clients receive a consistent weekly summary of project status.

    Owner:
    Operations Manager

    Tools Needed:

    • ClickUp
    • Google Docs
    • Gmail

    Steps:

    1. Open the [Client Project Board] in ClickUp
    2. Review the week’s completed tasks
    3. Copy/paste into [Weekly Report Template] in Google Docs
    4. Customize insights or updates
    5. Export as PDF
    6. Email to client using saved draft in Gmail

    Notes:

    • Use the client’s preferred subject line: “Weekly Project Report – [Date]”
    • If no major progress, summarize current blockers and next steps

    Use headers, lists, and consistent formatting. Keep it simple and scannable.

    🔗 Step 4: Link to Tools, Templates, and Assets

    Make it easy to execute. Link directly to:

    • Templates (Docs, Sheets, Slides)
    • Project boards
    • Folders
    • Scripts or canned responses

    If the team has to go hunting, your SOP will be ignored.

    👥 Step 5: Test with a Team Member

    Have someone else follow the SOP without guidance. Watch for:

    • Questions they ask
    • Places they pause
    • Steps they misunderstand

    Tweak the SOP based on their experience. This ensures it’s actually usable.

    🔄 Step 6: Assign Ownership and Keep It Updated

    SOPs aren’t “set and forget.” Assign someone to own each one.

    Pro tip: Add a “Last Reviewed” date and set a quarterly SOP review sprint.

    Tools to Build and Store SOPs

    Choose a system that’s easy to access, easy to update, and searchable. Here are my top picks:

    ToolBest For
    NotionVisual SOP dashboards, wiki-style documentation
    Google DocsSimple, accessible, easily linked
    ClickUp DocsIf you already use ClickUp for project management
    TangoAutomatically generates visual step-by-steps
    ScribeChrome extension that turns workflows into SOPs

    Don’t over-engineer it. A basic, well-formatted Google Doc beats a perfect system no one uses.

    SOPs and Small Teams: A Strategic Advantage

    You don’t need a 100-page playbook.

    You need a living set of simple, clear, actionable SOPs for the things you do most often.

    Start small. Pick one process. Write it out. Share it. Improve it.

    Then move to the next. Over time, you’ll build a self-sustaining system that saves time, reduces mistakes, and makes your business far more resilient.

    📅 Want Help Building Systems That Scale?

    If you’re still flying solo or stuck re-explaining everything to your team, it’s time for structure.

    Let’s build your core processes—together.

    📩 Schedule a Free Discovery Call →

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