1. Objective
This SOP governs how you write, format, and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the business you support. A business run entirely from memory — where processes exist only in the founder's head — is fragile. One sick day, one vacation, one handoff, and things fall apart. Your role as a Certified EA is not just to handle tasks but to document them so the business is reliable regardless of who is performing the work. This SOP tells you exactly how to write an SOP.
Where this SOP starts: Any time you complete a recurring task for the first time, any time your executive asks you to document a process, and any time you identify a gap in existing documentation.
Where this SOP ends: When the SOP is written, stored in the approved location, and confirmed accurate through one successful use.Success looks like: Any SOP you write can be handed to a capable adult with no prior experience with that specific task — and they can produce the correct output. Your executive can go on vacation knowing any documented process will be handled correctly in their absence.
2. Your Role & Boundaries
2a. What you handle independently
- Writing SOPs for any recurring task you perform or have learned
- Documenting your executive's processes as you shadow or interview them through the task
- Organizing all SOPs in the approved storage location
- Updating SOPs when a process changes
2b. What requires executive approval before acting
- Publishing or sharing any SOP that contains confidential business processes with a third party
- Changing a process (not just documenting a change your executive has already made)
- Implementing a new process system that replaces an existing one
2c. What you never do
- You never write a process from memory alone — document it live or immediately after doing it
- You never leave an SOP with placeholder language ("TBD," "ask executive") without flagging it for resolution
- You never create an SOP for a process you don't fully understand — interview the process out first
- You never skip the quality check — confirm the SOP is accurate by using it at least once
3. Why SOPs Matter
Consistency: With an SOP, the same task produces the same result every time — regardless of who does it or when.
Resilience: If you're unavailable, another person can pick up a documented process and execute it without recreating it from scratch.
Your protection: When something goes wrong, your SOP is your answer. You followed the documented process. If the process was flawed, the fix is to update the process — not to blame the person who followed it.
Scale: As the business grows, SOPs allow work to be delegated to new team members without one-on-one training every time.
4. The Anatomy of an Effective SOP
Every SOP you write must include these elements:
SOP Title
Specific and action-oriented. Not "Invoice Work" — "Processing a New Client Invoice."
Purpose
One to two sentences. Why does this process exist? What does it accomplish?
When to use this SOP
What triggers this process? "Use this SOP whenever a new client agreement is signed."
Tools / Access Required
What platforms, logins, or files does the person need before starting?
Step-by-step instructions
Numbered. Each step is one action. Screenshots or examples where helpful. Specific enough that someone doing it for the first time can produce the correct output.
Quality check
What does the completed output look like? How does the user know they did it correctly?
Date last updated / Owner
Who is responsible for maintaining this SOP.
5. Three Methods for Building SOPs
Method 1: Document as you learn (preferred)
The first time you perform a new recurring task, write down every step as you do it. Don't try to write it from memory afterward — you'll miss steps. After completing the task, clean up the notes into a proper SOP format.
Method 2: Shadow and document
For tasks your executive currently handles, ask to watch them do it once. Take notes on every step. Write the SOP from those notes. Then do the task once yourself using the SOP. Revise anything you missed.
Method 3: Interview the process out
For complex tasks or tasks you can't observe directly, ask your executive to walk you through it verbally. Record the conversation (with their permission). Build the SOP from the recording.
Key rule: If you can't describe the task precisely enough for someone who has never done it to complete it correctly — you don't understand it well enough to write the SOP yet. Go learn it first.
6. SOP Priority Order — What to Build First
Start with the tasks that are highest frequency and highest consequence if done incorrectly.
Phase 1 — Build immediately (first 30 days):
1. Meeting scheduling workflow
2. Email triage and response protocols
3. Invoice processing and payment follow-up
4. New client onboarding steps
5. Weekly summary or reporting routine
Phase 2 — Build in months 2–3:
- Proposal preparation
- CRM entry and contact management
- Social media or content publishing (if applicable)
- Vendor management and communication
Phase 3 — Ongoing:
- Any newly added recurring task
- Any task that has caused an error or inconsistency
7. SOP Writing Standards
Write for a first-timer. The standard is: a capable adult who has never done this specific task should be able to follow your SOP and produce the correct output without asking anyone.
Numbered steps, not paragraphs. Every step is one action. Not "review and file the document" — that's two steps: (1) Review the document for completeness. (2) File in the [location] folder under [category].
Use specific platform names and locations. Not "open the invoice tool" — "Open QuickBooks and click New Invoice in the top navigation bar."
Include the quality check. End every SOP with: "The task is complete when: [specific confirmable output]."
Keep it up to date. An outdated SOP is more dangerous than no SOP — it creates false confidence. Update it every time the process changes.
8. SOP Storage and Organization
All SOPs are stored in the approved location: [designated folder in cloud storage — confirm with executive].
Recommended folder structure:
SOPs/
├── Calendar & Scheduling
├── Client Communication
├── Email & Inbox
├── Finance & Invoicing
├── Marketing & Content
├── Operations & Admin
└── Tools & Technology
Naming convention: SOP_[Category]_[TaskName]_[YYYY-MM-DD]
Example: SOP_Finance_InvoiceProcessing_2026-04-15
9. Escalation Protocol
Escalate when:
- You're writing an SOP for a process that involves confidential client data and you need to confirm how much detail to document
- An existing SOP is producing incorrect results and you're not sure whether the process itself needs to change or the documentation does
- You discover a process gap that requires a new SOP but don't have authority to define the process independently
10. Tools & Access
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
| [Google Docs / Notion / Word] | SOP writing and storage |
| [Cloud folder — designated] | SOP library location |
| [Screen recording tool — optional] | Documenting visual or platform-specific steps |
11. Changelog
| Date | Notes |
|---|---|
| April 2026 | Initial release |