How to Create SOPs That Actually Work (And Don’t Get Lost in Your Google Drive)

Let’s start with the obvious: SOPs are not sexy. Nobody’s out here fantasizing about creating a 10-step process for how to send a Zoom link. But if you’re scaling a business and trying to delegate without losing your mind? SOPs are your best friend.

They’re not just Google Docs with bullet points. SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) are how you get stuff out of your head, off your plate, and into the hands of someone else—without sacrificing quality or consistency.

If you’ve been meaning to "get your systems together" but keep pushing it off because it sounds boring or complicated, this post is going to change that.

We’re going to talk about what SOPs really are, how to make them useful (not dusty), and why they’re the unsung hero of sustainable growth.

What Is an SOP, Really?

An SOP is a step-by-step instruction manual for how something gets done in your business.

Think: if you were hit with the flu tomorrow, could someone else pick up your client onboarding or launch prep and do it right without texting you 47 times? If not, you need an SOP.

SOPs make delegation doable. They create consistency. They keep your business from crumbling every time you take a weekend off.

Why SOPs Are the Secret Weapon of Scaling

You know how everyone talks about building a team so you can scale? That only works if your team knows what to do.

Without SOPs:

• You become the bottleneck (again)

• Your brand experience gets inconsistent

• You spend all your time training and retraining

With SOPs:

• You can hire faster

• You can delegate without micromanaging

• You get time back to actually lead

They don’t just make things more efficient—they make growth possible.

What Makes a Good SOP (Kal+Co. Style)

If your SOPs are vague, outdated, or buried in a Google Drive folder named “Stuff,” they’re not going to help you.

Here’s what we include when we build SOPs for Kal+Co. clients:

1. Title & Purpose

Keep it simple and specific. "Client Offboarding" is better than "End Stuff."

2. Owner

Who is responsible for this task? That clarity matters.

3. When It Happens

Is this a weekly task? A project-specific thing? Tie it to a trigger.

4. Step-by-Step Instructions

Break it down like you're training someone for the first time. No steps like "update the thing."

5. Screenshots or Loom Links

Show, don’t just tell. Visuals make it easier to follow and faster to learn.

6. Linked Templates or Assets

If there’s a canned email or checklist involved, link it directly.

7. Expected Outcome

What does "done" look like? Clarify the end goal.

Where to Start (So You Don’t Spiral)

Don’t try to write 50 SOPs in one day. Start with the stuff you repeat most often:

• Client onboarding

• Invoicing and payment

• Publishing your content (blog/podcast/newsletter)

• Project delivery

Write one SOP a week. Or better yet, record yourself doing the task and hand it off to a VA to document.

Pro tip: If you already have SOPs, do a quarterly review to make sure they still make sense. Nothing worse than following outdated instructions that send you in circles.

The Kal+Co. Approach to SOPs

We don’t create SOPs just for fun. We build them with the end goal in mind: helping you delegate, grow, and not have a panic attack every time you think about onboarding a new team member.

Every SOP we create is part of a larger business backend system that connects tools, templates, and workflows into one clean ecosystem.

Because documenting a task is only helpful if it fits into a bigger strategy.

TL;DR: SOPs Are the CEO's Shortcut to Sanity

If you want to:

• Hire without chaos

• Delegate with confidence

• Take a break without your business falling apart

Then you need SOPs. Period.

They don’t have to be fancy. They just have to be clear, repeatable, and accessible.

So, if your Google Drive is filled with half-baked templates and your brain is the only "system" you’ve got—let's change that.

Grab Your Free SOP Kickstart

Download the CEO Starter Kit and get your hands on a simple SOP template you can copy and start using today.

Or book a Kalibration Call and let us map out the top five systems your business needs right now—SOPs included.

You don’t have to do it all. But you do need a system that shows someone else how.