🪖 Simplify ⚙️ Automate ⚡️ Accelerate
Wednesday September 06, 2023
Welcome to this edition of Creator Ops Insider!
This is the newsletter for creators and online business owners who are ready to scale their business by streamlining their back end operations.
Each week you’ll get an inside look at what’s working for business owners as we speak.
Preview of this week:
- Practical lesson – SOPs Reduce Your Stress
- Reader question – Do I need to use tags?
- Recommended resource
No fluff. Just straight shooting. Simple lessons, practical strategies, and actionable insights that get results.
Get ready to take action.
PRACTICAL LESSON
Previously I shared about the The 5 benefits of implementing Standard Operating Procedures In Your Business.
And today, we’ll continue with the final benefit, reduced stress (click the links to access past issues).
- Consistency & Predictability
- Increased Efficiency
- Scalability
- Better Communication
- Reduced Stress
This week, let’s look at how using standard operating procedures (SOPs) can help reduce your day-to-day stress.
First, let’s define “stress.”
Stress is a physical or psychological response to environmental pressures or demands. It can manifest as emotional strain, mental tension, or physical discomfort and can result from a variety of factors, such as work, relationships, or financial problems.
Sometimes stress can be good…like a deadline. When there is a defined end point you can use stress to fuel motivation and eliminate procrastination.
On the other hand, when balls are getting dropped, deadlines are getting missed, and simple mistakes can be avoided the resulting stress can cripple your business.
This is where those boring SOPs come to the rescue!
Using templates and standard processes reduces stress for online business owners because everyone on your team knows:
- what they need to do,
- when it needs to be done,
- there is less room for careless errors,
- less chance of work piling up.
Less pile-up means less overwhelm, because there’s a clear path forward.
Less overwhelm equals a more relaxed work environment.
A more relaxed work environment means a happier team (even if it’s a one person company).
Developing clear processes and defining clear roles and responsibilities allows team members to focus on their own tasks, instead of trying to figure out what others are doing.
They can trust that the work that needs to be completed will get done because the checklist ensures not a single step is missed.
As I’ve mentioned last week, when everyone is on the same page, communication and collaboration is simpler and smoother, leading to overall better results.
Let’s look at one last example of how a single person coaching business can reduce their stress by creating a standard process for scheduling sessions with clients.
This process can include steps for
- checking availability,
- updating contact records,
- sending reminders,
- and logging the sessions.
Once they identify the steps in the process, they can begin to automate parts of it.
They can use a tool like TidyCal for scheduling, Zapier for adding clients to their customer relationship manager (CRM)and email software like ConvertKit, then send automatic follow up reminders or coursework.
By following the process consistently, this coach will eliminate double-booking through leveraging the calendar technology at their finger tips.
They will seamlessly update their contact records to make their calls easier without lifting a finger or hiring help.
They will effortlessly send reminders with the link to join the live calls through the power of automation.
They will reduce their own stress, ensure that they don’t forget any important details, and provide customers with a world class experience.
Simple processes refined over time will help your business rise to the top of your industry.
When businesses use SOPs and templates, they can create higher quality products and services, faster delivery times, reduce their training time, and improve collaboration, and ultimately lead to higher profits and happier customers.
What’s the next process you’ll document and put in place?
Click Here To Get My Fill-In-The-Blank SOP Template
READER QUESTION
Do I need to use tags?
I get this question often. Whether it’s in task management apps like Nozbe or Todoist, or note taking apps like Evernote or Notion, the answer is…it depends.
With that said, before you dive into all the features any given tool offers, it’s important to ask yourself what it is you’re trying to achieve.
Usually the simplest system is the one you will actually use. So don’t overcomplicate things.
Let your system develop organically and don’t add unnecessary complexity.
If you find yourself wanting to connect data or information across projects, files, or folders, then tags can come in handy.
Think of tags like sticky notes. The goal is to help you find information more quickly.
If they don’t make your job easier, then why would you use them?
RECOMMENDED RESOURCE
If you enjoyed playing with LEGO as a kid, or if you’ve struggled to integrate your project management tools, process documentation, and team communication Notion is the perfect app for you.
Imagine having a single tool tailored to your exact needs. Notion allows you to build your own all-in-one app without writing a single line of code, and it’s quickly becoming my go-to tool for streamlining my business and working with clients.
I’m working on a ConvertKit migration for a client right now, and I have the entire project, communication plan, and documentation inside Notion.
Plus, Notion AI helps me every day by drafting processes, brainstorming, and cleaning up my writing (including this…whoa totally meta).
Thanks for reading this edition of Creator Ops Insider.
If you have a question you would like to see featured or have feedback about this week’s newsletter, please hit reply.
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Here’s to taking action!
