The First 5 SOPs Every Founder Should Document
Standard operating procedures are not corporate busywork. They are a force multiplier that lets a small team deliver consistent results without the founder hovering over every task. The goal is not to write a thousand-page manual; it is to capture the few repeatable workflows that drive revenue and keep customers happy. When those workflows are documented, onboarding gets faster, quality improves, and the business becomes less fragile if someone takes a vacation or leaves.
A good SOP is short, clear, and measurable. Aim for a one-page format with five sections: purpose, scope, step-by-step checklist, owner, and service level (time to complete, quality bar, or response target). Add links to templates and examples so the process can be executed without tribal knowledge.
Give each SOP an owner and a review date. Ownership ensures someone keeps it accurate as tools and policies change. A monthly or quarterly review keeps the document aligned with how the work is actually done, not how it was imagined.
The first SOP to document is your sales-to-delivery handoff. Deals often lose momentum right after a contract is signed because no one is sure who owns the next steps. A simple handoff checklist should include the signed scope, start date, key contacts, success criteria, and the internal owner who kicks off delivery. This prevents awkward delays and sets expectations early.
Second, document your customer onboarding. Whether you sell a service or a product with setup steps, capture the sequence, assets, and touchpoints. Include timelines, who sends each communication, and what "done" looks like. Make sure the onboarding owner records completion in the system of record so downstream teams can trust the status.
Third, write down your billing and collections process. Spell out when invoices are issued, the approval path, payment terms, and the reminder cadence. Include a policy for exceptions so teams know when they can offer a discount or a payment plan. Clear billing SOPs improve cash flow and reduce uncomfortable conversations because the rules are known in advance.
Fourth, codify your support or issue resolution flow. Define how tickets are logged, triaged, prioritized, and closed. Include response time targets and escalation criteria. A fast, repeatable support SOP reduces churn and protects your team from randomization in how issues are handled.
Fifth, create a weekly reporting ritual. Outline which metrics are gathered, who prepares them, where they are stored, and how they are reviewed. A lightweight reporting SOP keeps everyone aligned on performance and flags problems before they become fires. Include a short section on what decisions will be made from the report so the ritual stays tied to action.
Write a short exception policy. When an SOP needs to be bypassed, specify who can approve the exception and how it gets documented. Exceptions happen, but they should be visible so you can fix the root cause instead of accumulating hidden debt.
Adoption matters as much as documentation. Run a short training session, ask for feedback, and revise the SOP based on what actually happens. A living SOP library that the team trusts is worth more than a perfect manual no one uses.
To keep these SOPs usable, write them where the team already works, using clear steps, owners, and links to templates. Include a version date and review cadence so people know what is current. Revisit them monthly to tighten steps that are unclear and remove ones no longer needed. The payoff is a team that moves faster with fewer mistakes, freeing the founder to focus on growth instead of putting out the same fires week after week.