The short answer
Daily operations and procedures are the written steps for how everyday work gets done in your business. When the steps are written down, work gets done the same way every time, new people learn faster and the business no longer depends on your memory.
Key Points
The three things to take away.
- 1
Write your procedures
Start with the tasks you repeat most and write the steps down in plain words. A good procedure has a clear name, who does it, when it happens and a short numbered list of steps.
Keep each one to a page or less. Add screenshots or a short phone video where it helps. Store all procedures in one shared folder or a simple wiki so anyone can find them. Write down the step that tends to go wrong in your business first, then add more over time.
- List the tasks you repeat each week
- Write each as short numbered steps
- Add screenshots or a quick video
- Store them all in one shared folder
- 2
Open and close each day
Make a short checklist for starting and ending each workday. Opening might cover checking messages, reviewing the schedule, confirming crews and loading trucks. Closing might cover updating job notes, sending invoices, locking up and charging devices.
Keep the lists on a phone app or printed at the shop. When the same steps happen every day, little things stop slipping, like a missed callback or a tool left on a job site. Review the lists once a quarter and cut steps nobody needs.
- Write an opening checklist
- Write a closing checklist
- Keep both where the team can see them
- Review and trim them each quarter
- 3
Handle leads the same way
Answer every new lead fast and follow the same steps each time. Leads come in by phone, text, website form, email and referrals, so send them all into one place, such as your field service software or a simple CRM.
Write a short script for first contact. Ask the same questions about the job, location, timing and budget. Record where each lead came from so you know which marketing works. Set a rule for how quickly every lead gets a reply and stick to it.
- Send all leads into one system
- Use a short script for first contact
- Record the source of every lead
- Set and keep a reply time rule
- 4
Sell and estimate
Use the same steps for every sales visit and estimate. Arrive on time, look at the job, take photos and measurements, explain your process and tell the customer when the estimate will arrive.
Build the estimate from your saved price list so numbers stay consistent. Send it within the time you promised. Follow up on a set schedule if you hear nothing back. Keep notes on why jobs are won or lost. Over time those notes show you where to adjust price, timing or how you explain the work.
- Follow the same steps on every visit
- Price from your saved service list
- Send estimates when you said you would
- Track why jobs are won or lost
- 5
Deliver the work
Give every job type a checklist that covers prep, the work itself, cleanup and the final walk-through with the customer. The checklist sets the standard so quality does not depend on who shows up.
Have crews take before and after photos and note any changes or problems. Changes to scope should be written and approved by the customer before the extra work starts. End each job by asking if the customer is happy, then send a thank-you and a review request.
- Create a checklist for each job type
- Take before and after photos
- Get written approval for scope changes
- Do a final walk-through with the customer
- 6
Payments and books
Set a regular routine for money tasks. Daily, send invoices for finished jobs and record payments. Weekly, follow up on unpaid invoices and pay bills. Monthly, reconcile bank and card accounts in your accounting software.
Keep business and personal money in separate accounts. Snap a photo of every receipt and attach it in your accounting app. If you collect sales tax or run payroll, put those due dates on the calendar. Your accountant can help you set the right routine for your business and state.
- Invoice and record payments daily
- Chase unpaid invoices weekly
- Reconcile accounts every month
- Calendar every tax and payroll due date
- 7
Train and keep it current
Train new people from your written procedures, not from memory. Have them read the steps, watch someone do the task, then do it while being watched. Sign off when they can do it alone.
Ask the people who do the work to flag steps that are wrong or out of date. Update the document the same week and note the change. Pick one person to own each procedure. A procedure nobody owns goes stale fast, and stale steps teach the wrong way.
- Train from the written steps
- Sign off when someone can work alone
- Let staff flag outdated steps
- Give each procedure an owner
Mistakes to avoid
- Keeping every process in the owner's head with nothing written down.
- Writing long manuals nobody reads instead of short checklists.
- Letting leads come in through five channels with no one tracking them.
Common questions
What is a standard operating procedure for a small business?
It is a short written set of steps for a task you do over and over, like answering a lead or closing out a job. It makes the work consistent. It also makes training much faster.
Where should I keep my business procedures?
Keep them in one shared place the whole team can reach, such as a Google Drive folder or a simple wiki. Phone access matters for field crews. Use clear names so each one is easy to find.
How do I get my team to follow procedures?
Keep them short, train from them and ask the team to help improve them. People follow steps they helped shape. Check work against the checklist and praise people who use it.
How often should I update procedures?
Update a procedure as soon as the way you do the work changes. Also review all of them at least once a year. Give each one an owner so updates actually happen.
General information only, not legal, tax or financial advice. See the Disclaimer.