Standard operating procedures for small teams

Why small teams need written procedures

In a team of three or five people, most know-how lives in one head. It works until that person is on holiday, ill, or busy with something else, and then the simplest jobs stall: nobody knows how the monthly invoices go out, which settings the backup uses, or what to send a new client on day one.

A standard operating procedure (SOP) is a short, written description of how a recurring job is done, step by step, so anyone on the team can do it the same way. It is not a policy manual. A good SOP fits on one screen, and it is written for the colleague who will follow it, not for an auditor.

The end of the year is a good moment to start. The Christmas break is the one time most of a small team is away at once, and January often brings a new hire, a new client or a new tool. Procedures written in December pay off in both cases.

Which procedures to write first

Don't try to document everything. Start with the jobs that meet one of these tests:

It repeats: weekly, monthly or yearly, such as sending invoices, running payroll, renewing a domain or closing the month.
Only one person knows it, and work stops when they are away.
Mistakes are costly: a deploy, a refund, a data export for a client.
New people ask about it in their first weeks.

Make a list, then pick three to five for the first round. A handful of procedures that people use is worth more than fifty nobody opens.

A simple SOP template

Use the same structure for every procedure, so people know where to look:

Title: the job, starting with a verb ("Send the monthly invoices").
Purpose: one sentence on why it matters.
When: the trigger or the schedule ("first working day of the month").
Owner and backup: who does it, and who covers.
Before you start: the access, files or information you need.
Steps: a numbered list, one action per step, with the exact menu names or commands.
Check: how to know it worked.
If something goes wrong: the two or three common problems and who to ask.
Last reviewed: the date, and who reviewed it.

Write the steps while you actually do the job, not from memory. Then ask someone else to follow them once, without your help. Every place they get stuck is a step to rewrite.

Write and organise SOPs in Documents

On the Pro plan, Documents gives your team one shared Markdown library, so procedures live next to your notes and decisions instead of in personal files. If you're new to it, the Documents guide covers the basics.

Create one document per procedure and start the title with "SOP:", for example "SOP: send the monthly invoices". Title words count the most when flags are picked, and the prefix makes the list easy to scan.
Paste the template above as Markdown headings and fill it in. The live preview shows the result as you type, and it saves by itself.
Paste screenshots straight into the editor where a step is easier to show than to describe.
Press Rescan flags, then add your own flag such as "procedure", so a single filter shows every SOP.
Already have procedures in Markdown files? Drag the .md files onto the Documents page to import them, then bring them into the template over time.

Keep them up to date with a recurring task

A procedure that describes last year's tool is worse than none. Give each SOP an owner and a review date, and let Tasks remind you:

Add a task such as "Review SOP: monthly invoices" with a monthly or yearly recurrence. When you complete it, the next one is scheduled automatically.
Give these tasks a shared flag like "SOP review", so you can filter them in one click.
When a tool or a supplier changes, update the procedure the same day, and change its "Last reviewed" date.

See the Tasks guide for recurrence and flags. Before the holidays, link the relevant procedures from your holiday handover note, so whoever covers for you has the steps in front of them.

Tips

One job per document. If an SOP needs a table of contents, split it.
Write for a smart newcomer. Spell out names of tools and menus; skip the theory.
Never put passwords in a procedure. Say where the credential is stored and who can grant access.
Start new hires with the SOPs. Following real procedures in week one is the fastest onboarding, and it finds the gaps.
Delete what nobody uses. An outdated SOP misleads people; archive or remove it.

FAQ

What is the difference between an SOP and a checklist?

A checklist lists what must be done; an SOP also explains how, in order, with the details someone new needs. Many good SOPs end with a short checklist for people who already know the job.

How long should a standard operating procedure be?

As short as it can be while someone else can still follow it. For most jobs in a small team that means one screen: a purpose, five to fifteen steps and a check.

How often should we review our SOPs?

Review them when the tool or the process changes, and otherwise on a fixed rhythm: yearly for stable jobs, monthly for anything that changes often. A recurring task makes sure it happens.