🪖 Simplify ⚙️ Automate ⚡️ Accelerate
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.
- Practical lesson
- Reader question
- Recommended resource
No fluff. Just straight shooting. Simple lessons, practical strategies, and actionable insights that get results.
Get ready to take action.
PRACTICAL LESSON
Process Documentation
Many online businesses operate with a small number of employees or contractors who juggle various tasks and responsibilities.
This often results in disorganized work and missed deadlines, ultimately affecting their bottom line.
However, there’s a simple solution to this problem…implement standard operating procedures (SOPs).
The 5 benefits of SOPs include:
- Consistency & Predictability
- Increased Efficiency
- Scalability
- Better Communication
- Reduced Stress
But the process of documenting processes is usually seen as boring, not worth the time, or as I’ve heard from several clients they just don’t know where to start.
Here are my general rules for process documentation:
- If you complete a task more than twice it’s time to create a process.
- Document the process with a simple checklist the second time you complete the task.
- Record yourself completing it the third time.
- Save your documentation for future use (I document all processes in a tool called Notion – here’s my template – click duplicate in the upper right corner to get your copy)
The first time you complete a task you’re still trying to figure it out.
The second time you have a good idea of how to do things, so it’s easier to write down the steps.
The third time you know what to do and have your checklist to follow. By recording yourself completing it, you’ll know how to do it next time without much effort or you can hand the task off to a team member.
READER QUESTION
I’m a total n00b when it comes to Notion and it feels a bit overwhelming to get started from scratch. Do you know of any good tutorials for the tech savvy? Any quick tips or things to avoid that I should know about?
Notion can seem a little daunting to use the first time because it’s a blank canvas. As a choose your own adventure tool, it can be difficult to know where to start.
Luckily there are dozens of templates right in the appyou can use right out the gate to begin testing the app and learning how to use it. If you’re the type who learns by doing, then start with templates.
On the other hand, if you’re the type who learns by step-by-step instructions, I recommend checking out the Notion Academy.
It is a training series showing you how to get started at the simplest level by creating pages and takes you through advanced uses of linked databases, roll-ups, and project management.
When it comes to things to avoid, my biggest tip is that almost every page you create should be in a database. That’s where Notion’s power is.
Creating individual pages (or notes like Apple Notes or Evernote) can become a real pain unless they’re in a database.
The most important thing to remember about learning a new tool, is to just get in there and start trying things. You’ll figure out what works for you and your situation.
RECOMMENDED RESOURCE
If you enjoyed playing with LEGO as a kid, Notion is the perfect app for you. Or if you’ve struggled to integrate your project management tools, process documentation, and team communication, imagine having a single tool that can handle all that and more, tailored to your exact needs.
Notion allows you to build your own all-in-one app without writing a single line of code. It’s quickly becoming my go-to tool for streamlining my business and working with clients. Plus, the Notion AI helps me every day by drafting processes, brainstorming, and cleaning up my writing (including this…whoa totally meta).
Click Here To Learn More About Notion
Thanks for reading.
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Here’s to taking action!
