#24 How to systemize a solo business with SOPs

“you’re just being anal”
“that’s overboard, it only takes 5 minutes”
“why are you always trying to fix it when it isn’t broken?”
“there’s no point in being a perfectionist”
“this is what we’ve always done”

These are some phrases I’ve heard many times that always drive me nuts.
I will never understand why anyone would favour a familiar bad system,
when a new system would get it done faster or better.

I remember having an argument with my senior back when I used to work a 9-5.
I had pitched spending 1 day to develop global templates.
This would cut hours off our workload every day,
for all x5 designers on the team,
every day, forever, with zero costs.

Of course, it didn’t happen.

Her: “I’ve been using Illustrator since you were ten years old”
Me: Well that’s even worse, you’ve been using the wrong app for this for 20 years, and any ten year old could tell you that. 😅

Needless to say I wasn’t there for long.

It was more comfortable to stick with what she knew, even if it was costing time and money.
You’ll still see this resistance a lot, particularly in corporate structures.
If this is something you struggle with, read surrounded by idiots, it will help your stress levels to understand the mechanisms behind this better.

Many would rather be comfortable than profitable, which is why many never reach their full potential.
It’s much easier to take the obvious route, and do what everyone else does.
People don’t like doing things differently and they don’t like change.

I used to think it was me that was weird and maybe I had an obsessive personality.
I’ve always liked to optimize things;
The flaws are always obvious to me.
And the improvements to make clear and necessary.

My brain always tries to connect dots,
It’s just the way my head works.
Now I realise it’s my superpower and it lets me operate the way I do.

And now I have the freedom to implement and improve within my own business as I see fit.
This hands-on impact is one reason why having a lifestyle business is so attractive to me.

In my own business, I vowed, nothing would be untouchable.
Any process is open to optimization
I continuously improve my processes, systems and strategies.
And I encourage my team at Design Hero to point out the flaws in my own systems and thinking.

If you have to work longer hours to grow your business,
then you will ALWAYS be working longer hours.
You need to systemize your business to multiply your outputs without putting in more time.

SOPS are the first step to build leverage in a solo business.

Here’s how to systemize your business:

You write down your processes,
Then you improve them,
Then you automate, delegate, or eliminate everything you can do you have more mental space and more free time.

If you want a step by step guide for writing SOPs there’s a box at the bottom where you can put in your email and you’ll get sent a video walkthrough of how to do it all

You see, if you do things the same way as everyone else,
If you stick to what you know, instead of what helps you grow,
then the only way to get ahead is to do more and work harder.

This is what most people do:
More leads, More ads, more engagement, more AI, more shiny objects…

But you won’t change your life by doing more of what you’re doing now.
In fact if you want more free time, you need to start doing LESS.
You need to start over and get the foundations right first.

Sometimes the foundations can be boring.
Sometimes it’s tempting just to quickly do that thing that takes 5 minutes, or to explore a fancy new tool.
But setting up foundational systems will allow you to run your business to maximize profit freedom and stability without just working harder,

So today I’m going to show you my system for building systems.
We’re going to work out your process for each part of your business,
and optimize your whole business,
to free you up to work more ON the business instead of IN the business.

Maybe this sounds a bit boring.
But it gets more exciting when you realize your SOPs are a record of your unique way of thinking.
SOPs are how you scale a 6 figure solo business without burnout,
and turn a one-person business into an asset that generates profit and freedom consistently.

 

Why we need SOPS

Without My SOPs I would be an employee in my own business;
trapped under the weight of labour,
buried by an avalanche of admin,
suffering from undue stress
instead of doing high-value work using my unique talents.

If you want to scale you need two things:

1 you need to produce more output without more input.
2 you need to be consistent in your methods and processes to free up brain power.

SOPs are the first step in systems that helps you do both.
SOPS are the first step to build a systemized business without burnout.

❓ 0:00 Why you can’t scale a solo business without SOPs
🧱 1:10 A system for building systems
🔨 2:40 tools & apps don’t matter
📃 4:20 1 document
⚙️ 5:00 2 Systemize
💠 5:50 3 optimize
📁 6:20 4 template
🤖 7:00 5 automate
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 7:30 6 delegate
♻️ 8:20 7 review and revise
🥅 8:40 capture your process AND your thinking
📊 9:20 Project management for designers
📈 10:30 Start simple, and add to it
🤯 11:30 Don’t overthink it, your process will change
💥 11:40 Your SOPs are a reusable asset and resource
ℹ️ 12:05 Summary

1 Systems multiply your output

The most common mistake freelancers make?
They try to scale up before they have the foundations optimized.
Good systems are multipliers.
So scaling the wrong things will only multiply your bad results.

If you have to work longer hours to grow your business now,
then you will ALWAYS be working longer hours later

Remember: we want to build a lifestyle business without burnout

So how do we get more output without just working harder?
you need to multiply your time
you need to achieve the same result with less.
You need leverage to achieve the same results without working more

This is why you need SOPS;
to build a system that will help you scale.

2 Systems keep you consistent

The gurus like to say, “just show up every day”.
But trying to show up every day is exhausting 😩

Things come up.
You’re NOT going to be able to commit to every single day.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t show up every single day.

Most tasks can be batched into a process
Most processes can be systemized
Most systems can be automated
And most automations can be scheduled

So we’re going to build a system so the important things get done consistently, even when you’re not there.

So this is my system, for building systems….

You can’t delegate unless you have a process.
you can’t have a process without a system
you can’t optimize a system unless you have a system.

Sounds simple.
But simple doesn’t mean easy!

So today I’m going to walk you through you how to systemize
and optimize a freelance business in baby steps.
How to organize it in one place so you can manage multiple projects without burnout,
and scale your business by delegating or outsourcing parts of those projects.

 

 

Use my solopreneurs’ mantra:

• 📃 Document
• ⚙️ Systemize
• ❌ Eliminate
• 💎 Optimize
• 📁 Template
• 🤖 Automate
• 👪 Delegate

 

📃 Document

It starts with write down your process..
This is not just for projects, this applies to every part of your business.
You can’t optimize your process if you don’t know what the process is.
Write it down.
Start writing your overall process as bullet points.
Break down your process into phases that you will follow for each project.
Create checklists under phase to break it down even further..
This will do to get you started.
Now you can visualise what’s working and what’s not.

⚙️ Systemize

Now you have a rough step-by-step process.
SOPs teach people how to do it, Systems are the actual doing.
Setting up a system means combining your the SOPs, templates, automations, delegation etc into a repeatable process which can run on autopilot, or with minimal human input at critical points.
Later, as you scale, you’re business will grow in complexity.
You’ll want to take this simple document and replicate it in some kind of software like Clickup.
This will become your project management software, second brain and knowledge hub.

❌ Eliminate

The prevention is always better than the cure. Sometimes I try to solve problems, only to realise I should be seeking to prevent that problem occurring.
The 80/20 rule and parkinson’s law means a lot of what you’re doing is not really necessary.
Do I really need to do this, does it improve the end result?
If you can achieve the same result without doing it, remove it.
If you can skip this step and achieve the same result, remove it.
If you can ignore this step, and nothing bad happens, remove it.

💎 Optimize

Just because everyone’s doing it one way, doesn’t mean you have to.
What can I do differently?
What apps or systems can i use to streamline that process or make it quicker?
How can I get to the same end result in a more direct way.
Nothing is sacred.
Maybe you don’t need to do sales calls.
Maybe you don’t need to do 1-1s.
Keep an open mind here.

📁 Template

If you’re going to do something more than once, don’t start from scratch. Create a checkpoint you can use to skip the repeated parts.
If you repeat the same thing more than once for every project, create a template to shortcut the same parts every time, rather than starting from scratch.
Wireframes, website preinstalls, email replys, invoices. Almost every area of your business can benefit from templates.

🤖 Automate

Does this step require human intuition, or fuzzy logic? or does it run on a set of logical IF THEN rules.
If so, can I replace this manual action with automation?
Where can I connect apps to remove a few clicks?
What actions or emails can I trigger using automations?

Most repetitive tasks can be automated in some way. There are many tools and apps out now which integrate beautifully, to remove manual actions needed between steps.
When you have a system running by itself without your input, you will feel like a superhuman 💪🏻

👪 Delegate

My last resort.
If you’ve done all the above, and the system still needs human input and intuition, then it’s time to delegate to someone who can do it just as well as you, so that you can spend your more valuable time somewhere more critical, on a task that requires your specific knowledge.
Is this a valuable use of my time and skills?
Your time is your most valuable resource, and your skills are a measure of your leverage.
The math is simple: If your hourly rate is £100, and creating social posts takes you an hour, spend that hour to make £100 and pay someone £25/hr to create your social posts.
What can I outsource or hand to a VA, or train someone to do?
if it’s a permanent part of my business is it time to hire?

♻️ Review & repeat

No system is permanent. As you grow your systems will break. review and reassess regularly.
Update your SOPs to reflect any changes. Even if you work by yourself.

Summary

Eventually your SOPs will be your most valuable asset that will help you multiply your outputs and build a business with leverage and freedom

Your SOPs are record of your unique way of thinking that you can repackage and sell;
Which you can repurpose again and again for growth & for peace of mind
With SOPs in place, what used to take you 2 days will take you 2 hours.

❓ 0:00 Why you can’t scale a solo business without SOPs
🧱 1:10 A system for building systems
🔨 2:40 tools & apps don’t matter
📃 4:20 1 document
⚙️ 5:00 2 Systemize
💠 5:50 3 optimize
📁 6:20 4 template
🤖 7:00 5 automate
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 7:30 6 delegate
♻️ 8:20 7 reveiw and revise
🥅 8:40 capture your process AND your thinking
📊 9:20 Project management for designers
📈 10:30 Start simple, and add to it
🤯 11:30 Don’t overthink it, your process will change
💥 11:40 Your SOPs are a reusable asset and resource
ℹ️ 12:05 Summary