Systems and SOPs
At a glance
- For
- Owners who are the only person who knows how a quote, an order or an invoice gets done
- Takes
- Two to four weeks
- Format
- Walk-through, written SOPs, live testing and staff training
- You get
- A process map, one-page SOPs and checklists your team runs
- Price
- Priced on assessment
- The processes that cost money when they are missed, written down first
- One page per process, with a checklist your staff can use on a phone
- Tested on live work and handed over with training
What we hear from owners
- “Every quote, order and invoice waits for you to look at it.”
- “Two staff members do the same task two different ways.”
- “A week of leave means a week of catching up.”
- “A buyer or partner asks how things work and the answer is: ask me.”
Why standard operating procedures matter in a small business
Most small businesses run on the owner's memory, until the owner becomes the bottleneck. An SOP turns a habit in your head into one page and a checklist anyone on the team can follow.
What the systems and SOPs work includes
- 01
A map of how work movesEnquiry to final payment on one page, leaks marked.
- 02
One-page SOPsShort steps, a named owner, your team's words.
- 03
Checklists for the phoneTicked on site or in the office, under pressure.
- 04
Testing on live workRun on real jobs and changed where it does not fit.
- 05
Staff trainingThe people who run the steps, trained on them.
- 06
A review routineSOPs kept current as prices, staff and the law change.
What you get
SOP 04 · Enquiry to deposit
Rev. 3
- Owner
- Office manager
- Applies to
- Every new job
- Job
- J-0412
- 01Log the enquiry in the job register (done)Office
- 02Book the site visit and confirm in writing (done)Office
- 03Measure and photograph on site (done)Estimator
- 04Price from the costing sheet, not from memory (done)Estimator
- 05Send the quote with validity and deposit terms (done)Office
- 06Follow up if there is no reply in three days (to do)Office
- 07Deposit received: open the job (to do)Office
Checked by
Date
How the systems and SOPs work runs
- 01
Walk-through
How work moves today, on real quotes and invoices.
- 02
Map
Enquiry to payment on one page, leaks marked.
- 03
Write
The costly steps become one-page SOPs and checklists.
- 04
Run and hand over
Tested on live work, owners of each step trained.
Who this is for
- Businesses where everything goes through the owner
- Businesses grown past what one person can hold
- Owners preparing to sell or bring in a partner
- Teams where new staff take months to learn
- Businesses repeating the same costly mistakes
What you have at the end
- A one-page map from enquiry to final payment
- One-page SOPs for the steps that cost money
- A phone checklist for each SOP
- A named owner for every step
- Trained staff and a review routine
Templates that help
Read more
- What is an SOP, and why every contractor needs oneSystems · 5 min read
- Owner-dependent: what it costs you and how to fix itSystems · 5 min read
- Why most contractor businesses can't be sold (and how to fix yours)Business valuation · 7 min read
- Quotes, variations and getting paid: the paperwork that protects your marginGetting paid · 8 min read
Frequently asked
Something else on your mind? A discovery call covers the detail.
Talk to Connie about systems and sops
Leave your details and a line about the business. You get a reply to book a discovery call, then a fixed quote and written scope before anything starts.
Open the full contact page