This free SOP template gives you one simple format for writing down how a task gets done: what it’s for, who does it, the steps and what “done” looks like. Copy it below, fill it in for the one task new hires ask about most, and you have your first SOP.
If your processes live in people’s heads, every new hire asks the same questions. And most of those questions land on you. A few written SOPs are how you stop being the answer to all of them.
This guide is for owners of local service businesses with 5 to 50 people. You’ll get the template, a filled-in example, and a way to write SOPs faster with AI.
What an SOP is, in plain words
SOP stands for standard operating procedure. It’s a short written set of steps for one task, so anyone on your team can do it the same way.
Think of it as the note you’d leave if you were away for a month. Clear enough that someone new could follow it without calling you.
Free SOP template (copy and paste)
Copy this into a Google Doc. Make one copy per task.
SOP: [Task name, starting with a verb, e.g. "Send a quote after a site visit"]
Purpose:
[One sentence. Why this task matters and what goes wrong if it's skipped.]
Who does it:
[Role, not a person's name, e.g. "Office manager"]
When / trigger:
[What starts this task, e.g. "After every site visit" or "Every Monday by 10am"]
Tools needed:
[Software, logins, forms or supplies, e.g. "CRM, quote template, job photos"]
Steps:
1. [Verb + one action]
2. [Verb + one action]
3. [Verb + one action]
(Add a screenshot under any step that involves clicking around.)
Quality check / what "done" looks like:
[How you know it was done right, e.g. "Customer has the quote in their inbox
and the CRM deal shows 'Quote sent'"]
Common mistakes:
- [Mistake people make, and how to avoid it]
- [Another one]
Owner: [Who keeps this SOP up to date]
Last updated: [Date]
SOP template example: send a quote after a site visit
Here’s the template filled in for a typical service-business task. It’s an example, so change the steps and tools to match how your business works.
SOP: Send a quote after a site visit
Purpose:
Get the customer a clear quote while the visit is still fresh,
so they don't go with whoever answers first.
Who does it:
Estimator, with the office manager checking it went out
When / trigger:
After every site visit, same day if possible
Tools needed:
CRM, quote template, site visit notes, job photos
Steps:
1. Open the customer's record in the CRM.
2. Upload the job photos from the visit.
3. Copy the quote template into a new quote.
4. Fill in the scope from your site visit notes.
5. Add line items and prices from the current price list.
6. Read the quote once from the customer's point of view.
7. Send the quote by email with a short personal note.
8. Move the deal to "Quote sent" in the CRM.
9. Set a follow-up task for 3 days from today.
Quality check / what "done" looks like:
The customer has the quote, the CRM shows "Quote sent",
and a follow-up task exists with a date on it.
Common mistakes:
- Pricing from memory instead of the current price list.
- Forgetting to move the deal stage, so nobody follows up.
- Sending a scope the customer can't understand. Write it in their words.
Owner: Office manager
Last updated: [Date]
How to write SOPs that people actually use
- Pick the right tasks. Start with tasks that repeat every week, and the ones new hires ask about most. If you’ve answered the same question three times, that’s an SOP.
- Watch or record the person who does it. Don’t write it from memory. The person who does the task every day knows steps you’ve forgotten.
- Write each step as a verb. “Open the CRM.” “Upload the photos.” Start every step with the action.
- One action per step. If a step has “and” in it, it’s probably two steps.
- Add screenshots. Any step that involves clicking around gets a screenshot. It saves a lot of “where is that button?”
- Test it with someone new. Hand it to someone who has never done the task. Every place they get stuck is a step you need to fix.
- Review it on a schedule. Pick a date, like every quarter, and check each SOP still matches how the work gets done.
Once a task is written down this clearly, it’s also much easier to hand off. Our employee onboarding checklist shows where SOPs fit into a new hire’s first weeks.
How to write SOPs with AI from a recording
You don’t have to type SOPs from scratch. You can record the task once and let AI do the first draft.
- Record the task. Use Loom or your phone’s built-in screen recorder while you do the task. Talk through what you’re doing and why. For tasks away from a screen, a voice memo works.
- Get the transcript. Loom makes one for you. For a voice memo, use your phone’s transcription or paste the audio into a tool that transcribes it.
- Paste it into ChatGPT or Claude with the prompt below.
- Check it yourself. Read every step. Fix anything that’s wrong, then test it with someone new.
Here’s the prompt. Fill in the brackets and paste your transcript at the end.
You are helping me write an SOP (standard operating procedure) for my
[type of business]. Below is a transcript of someone doing the task
"[task name]" and talking through it.
Turn it into an SOP using exactly this format:
- SOP title (starts with a verb)
- Purpose (one sentence)
- Who does it (a role, not a name)
- When / trigger
- Tools needed
- Steps (numbered, each starts with a verb, one action per step)
- Quality check / what "done" looks like
- Common mistakes
- Owner and last-updated date (leave as [blank])
Rules:
- Use plain, simple words a new hire would understand.
- Only use what's in the transcript. Don't make up steps, tools or numbers.
- After the SOP, list any steps that seem missing or unclear,
and any place where I should add a screenshot.
Transcript:
[paste transcript here]
The “missing steps” list at the end is the useful part. It shows you where the person skipped something because it felt obvious to them.
If you’d rather have someone turn your SOPs into systems that run on their own, Book a free call.
If you want Claude to remember your SOP format every time, set up a project for it. Our guide on how to set up Claude Projects walks through it, and ChatGPT for small business has more prompts like this one.
What AI can’t do here
AI can only write what’s in the recording. If the person skipped a step, the SOP will skip it too, and it won’t know your business rules unless someone said them out loud. A person who knows the task has to check every draft before it goes to the team.
Where to keep your SOPs
Keep them all in one shared Google Drive folder. One place, so nobody has to ask where the SOP is.
- Name them the same way. Start each with “SOP:” and a verb, like “SOP: Send a quote after a site visit.” They sort together and are easy to search.
- One doc per task. Short docs get read. A 40-page manual doesn’t.
- Link them from onboarding. A new hire should get the folder link on day one, with the SOPs for their role listed.
What not to do
- Don’t write SOPs nobody updates. An out-of-date SOP is worse than none, because people follow it. Every SOP needs an owner and a last-updated date.
- Don’t write novels. If a step needs a paragraph to explain, split it into smaller steps or add a screenshot.
- Don’t write SOPs for one-off tasks. If it happens once a year or once ever, a quick note is enough.
How SOPs get you out of the day-to-day
Every SOP is one less question that needs you. When the steps are written down, your team can do the work, train each other and fix their own mistakes.
And once a task is written step by step, you can see which steps a person needs to do and which a computer could. That’s where business process automation starts.
Start with one. Pick the task you explain most often, record yourself doing it this week, and run the prompt above.
FAQ
What should an SOP template include?
A task name, purpose, who does it, what triggers it, the tools needed and numbered steps. It should also say what “done” looks like, list common mistakes, and name an owner with a last-updated date.
How do I write an SOP?
Watch or record the person who does the task, then write each step as one action starting with a verb. Add screenshots, test it with someone new, and fix wherever they get stuck.
Can AI write SOPs?
Yes, AI can write a solid first draft from a screen recording transcript or voice memo. A person who knows the task still needs to check every step, because AI can only use what was said in the recording.
How often should SOPs be updated?
Review them on a set schedule, like every quarter, and any time the task or the tools change. Put an owner and a last-updated date on every SOP so you can tell when one is stale.