How To Create Effective Written Procedures

One of the easiest things to omit when running a small business is creating written business procedures. It's understandable when you start on your own and you are in control of everything, but what happens when the business starts to grow? Or you need to employ more people?

What are written business procedures?

The term 'written procedures' always sounds incredibly formal or serious. For bigger businesses, it ends up being a handbook given to employees, instructing them on how to do their job. In a small business, written procedures enable the business to be streamlined and to mitigate as many errors as possible.

Many small business owners rely on their memory and logic for a lot of things. That can work for a while, but as the business grows, it gets harder to keep everything in your head. Simply put, you may end up in certain situations that are new, and how you deal with them should be consistent with how you run your business. If the situation ever arose again, you'd want to be able to handle the same problem in the same way.

A written procedure is a document that outlines the steps to be taken in a certain situation.

How To Create a Written Procedure

Each business process should have its own written procedure. For example, accepting orders, dispatching orders, handling enquiries, dealing with complaints, etc. The best way to start is writing up a procedure for something you are already doing. You don't need to try and write them all in one go. Rather, when a business process arises, take the opportunity to write out the procedure for how that business process operates.

Things to include in your written procedure:

• Business process title

• Date of written procedure

• Version of procedure

• Step number

• Clear instruction of each step

• Who is involved in each step (use job titles, not names)

• Where any documents should be stored (digitally or physically)

Each written procedure should be as clear and simple as possible. The idea being that anyone who needs to know what to do in a situation can find the answer quickly. If the written procedure is too long, it can be easy for those reading it to become confused or lost within that process.

A written procedure not only acts as an instruction manual, but also as a checklist when working through a process. It serves as a reminder for what needs to be done in order for things to run properly. For example, it may be a new procedure to scan a signed dispatch note onto your computer system so that there is both a physical copy and a digital copy. Having that instruction outlined clearly means that whenever the relevant people read through it, they can see each step and be reminded that a scan needs to be made.

How To Implement a Written Procedure

Once you have the process in a written document, it's time to implement it. If the procedure is for a business process that is already in place, then it should be given to your team to review and sign that they understand. Two copies should be made, one for them to keep, and a signed copy for you to keep. The signed copy is just for you; should anything go wrong and a team member claim they weren't aware of the procedure, you have proof otherwise.

If you are bringing in a new procedure (i.e. after dealing with an unusual order or complaint), it may be worth having a brief team meeting with the relevant team members for that business process and a copy of the written procedure. This is an opportunity to get feedback from your team if the procedure is clear, or if they have any questions/recommendations.

Once everyone is happy and clear, you can implement it as with the familiar ones, meaning to get each team member to sign two copies, one for them and one for you.

Benefits of Written Procedures for Small Businesses

It may seem like unnecessary work to put processes into writing, especially if there's only a small team. Generally, writing a procedure doesn't take too long, but it's the perfect opportunity to ensure that each process is streamlined and as effective as possible.

Things may change, which means procedures may need to be updated, and that's great!

A written procedure makes sure that your entire team (including yourself) are clear on the processes within your business and are clear on what each job requires. It allows you to understand each part of the business so incredibly well that you will want to continue improving processes, not just get the job done.

It also means that as the business grows, you have one less thing to worry about when bringing in more staff. You can compile a list of the existing procedures that they will be responsible for.