One of the big things that will affect the efficiency of your business — and perhaps even your ultimate business success — is how well you’ve standardized procedures and repetitive tasks. I’ve created some standard operating procedures to remove the decision-making process around repeated tasks or habits, and streamline my days. Stuff like:
- I don’t give personal information out over the phone
- I don’t use a credit card
- I don’t skip 5:45 a.m. workouts unless I’m sick
No decisions
Some people say this represents discipline, but I think it’s really about being lazy. I don’t want to have my alarm go off at 4:45 a.m. and wrestle with the decision about whether or not to get up at that hour. I don’t have to decide each morning if I go to CrossFit, because I made that decision weeks ago. It was, “I go to 5:45 a.m. CrossFit.”
Not setting SOP (Standard Operating Procedures) means I’d be making a series of small decisions over and over, every day. That simply seems tiring and unnecessary.
Client SOPs
For my business, my SOPs are:
- I don’t get on the phone without my initial client questions answered
- I don’t accept payment terms of Net 30
- I only work with WordPress and only on eCommerce or Membership sites
This means that when a new lead comes along I don’t have to wonder up front about their request for a phone call. I send them my initial client questions and decline to get on the phone until I have those questions answered.
You can purchase all my emails including my initial client questions in my Effective Client Email Book
Stop
Stop burdening yourself with decisions about every thing, every day. Start setting up some SOPs for yourself.
Deciding these things before you have to will make your decision-making, and your life, so much easier.
photo credit: pasukaru76 cc