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Last updated: 11 January 2024
Small business SOPs in the trade
Standard operating procedures can be used in many business areas to improve performance and profits. In this article, we see how SOP for small business can drive success.
What is SOP for small business?
Small business standard operating procedures (SOPs) provide focus and direction. For busy tradespeople, SOPs can be a great way to be more organised.
You don’t have to worry about learning anything new or complicated. A SOP is a business term describing what many tradespeople people probably already do every day.
A SOP for small business involves writing down exactly what you do to complete a task or procedure. This can be a list of all the actions needed to complete the process.
As the term implies, you are setting out a standard way to run your business.
Your SOPs for small business don’t need to be complicated. In fact, the simpler you make it the easier it will be to follow. Keeping it simple should make it easier to spot things you can improve.
For tradespeople, SOP for small business can apply to lots of areas. One of the most commonly used areas is to help manage your staff more effectively.
Another is SOP for retail if your business sells directly to customers. This helps ensure more satisfied customers.
Benefits of small business SOP
Small business SOPs can help tradespeople improve their profits. They could be used to:
Simplify operating processes
Create standards for how you work
Work more consistently in a planned way
Make sure you always have the right tools ready for every job
Manage staff more effectively so everyone knows what they are expected to do
Improve efficiency and productivity
Improve safety
Improve the quality of your work
Makes sure the best ways of working are remembered, shared and passed on
Make sure you meet any rules and regulations relating to your trade
Where small business can use a SOP
There are lots of business activities where a SOP can be very helpful. Any aspect of your work that you think could be improved is where a SOP could be handy.
Job roles
One of the most effective uses of SOPs is to help employees do their jobs better. The SOP should provide a comprehensive checklist of all they need to know.
This is essential for new employees.
The SOP can be used to detail a standard way of working for every job role or type of work. This should help reduce risks of error and accidents.
It should also result in better-quality work and help you complete jobs on time.
Work tasks
Creating SOPs for all your main work tasks is another way of improving consistency. It should help ensure individual tasks in a project are carried out in the correct order.
It will help make sure tasks aren’t forgotten. You don’t want to find out at the end of a job that something has been forgotten!
Accounts and finance
A good way of keeping your business records accurate is with a SOP. Use them to set out how things should be done in these areas:
Writing job quotes
Preparing invoices
Chasing customer payments
Approving supplier payments and paying bills
Claiming expenses
General budgeting
Using plant, machinery and equipment
Business assets are often expensive purchases. Using and storing them properly are important ways of prolonging their lives. You can create SOPs for:
Safe use
Storage
Cleaning and maintaining
Using vehicles
Vehicles are another type of business asset that will benefit from safe and consistent use. An SOP could cover:
Who is authorised to drive vehicles
Vehicle and driver insurance
Driving instructions – to improve safety and reduce fuel consumption
Storage and security – especially if equipment is kept in them
Cleaning and maintenance
Customer service
Businesses often learn to their cost the price of a poor customer experience. A customer-focused SOP can help tradespeople keep customers highly satisfied.
A customer SOP could cover:
How you treat customers – from simple things like politeness to how you act when working at their premises
How quickly you answer phone calls or emails
How quickly you answer questions or requests for information
How you respond if a customer queries your work or a quote
What to do if a customer has a problem or complaint
Sales, marketing and advertising
How a business communicates with customers and prospects drives profitability. Get it wrong and you could struggle to win work.
Having a SOP that details how to promote your business can help ensure the best results. The SOP will make sure you present positive and consistent messages about your business.
It will remind you of all the important things to include in your sales, marketing and advertising materials.
A growing area for tradespeople is marketing on social media. There are lots of ways to do this poorly. A good SOP helps everyone in a business do it the right way for the best results.
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Creating a small business SOP
There are several ways of creating a small business SOP.
Get it down in writing
Think about making a short video on the topic. However, it’s always worth writing down all aspects of a small business SOP.
Talking about an SOP can also be another highly effective way of ensuring people understand it.
Use graphics – like flowcharts and diagrams. These can often present key information more clearly than just writing it down.
What to include in a SOP
Say who the SOP is for
Include a date and who wrote the SOP to make it easier when you think about reviewing and updating it
Explain any technical terms. Don’t assume everyone knows them or remembers what they mean. This avoids any aspects of an SOP that can create confusion. This should mean people don’t follow the SOP incorrectly
Include every single step in the procedure – from start to finish
Say what should be done, how and why
Include handy hints – like do’s and don’ts – to avoid common errors
Set up a SOP template
For a written SOP, create a template that works for you. This will ensure every SOP you write will have a similar look at feel. It should help you make sure you don’t forget anything.
You can create a SOP template of your own, for example in Word, Excel or PowerPoint. You can also buy SOP software that does it for you.
Research SOP information
A good starting point is talking to any colleagues involved in the area. Pick the brains of experts you know or other businesses who might share their useful ideas.
Make sure anyone using the SOP understands it – encourage them to ask questions. This ensures they don’t do it wrong. They may also have suggestions for improvements.
Study the SOP in action
Watch a task being done, take notes and look closely at every detail. Then write your SOP.
Test the SOP
Test it out – see if it works. You may have to go back to the drawing board or tweak and improve your SOPs.
Review the SOP
Decide how often you need to check that a small business SOP is still suitable. Some procedures hardly ever need to be updated. Others are likely to need updating frequently.
For SOPs linked to rules and regulations, make sure you keep pace. For example, changes in legislation.
Make sure everyone who needs to know when a SOP has been updated.
Key takeaways
A small business SOP helps tradespeople with employees make sure they do their jobs properly and well
A SOP for small business can be created for each of many individual processes
A small business SOP is probably best written down, with diagrams and charts if they help and even a short video
Most SOPs for small business should be reviewed and updated regularly
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