Thoughts:
“A business without systems is like a car without a map—it moves, but it rarely reaches its destination.”
“Every chaos in your business is a chance to write an SOP and win back your time.”
“Your business isn’t truly yours until it can run smoothly without you in the room.”
What’s the one thing successful ecommerce businesses have in common?
They run like well-oiled machines, even when the owner steps away.
How? By using SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures).
Imagine this: A customer places an order with payment on delivery.
The delivery agent arrives, and suddenly, the customer asks for a discount.
Without a clear process in place, chaos begins—calls to the office, confusion, wasted time, and possibly a lost sale.
But with an SOP? Smooth sailing.
Let’s be honest—many ecommerce owners think SOPs are only for big companies or highly technical tasks.
But here’s the reality: SOPs are the secret weapon to scaling any business, no matter its size.
Without them, you’re constantly solving the same problems, answering the same questions, and putting out the same fires.
Take the payment-on-delivery scenario:
Your delivery agent shows up, the customer demands a discount, and the agent doesn’t know what to do.
Do they call you? Do they offer a discount on the spot? Or worse, do they walk away, leaving the sale incomplete?
Without an SOP for this common situation, you’re stuck managing these issues repeatedly.
Insights
SOPs turn messy, unpredictable situations into clear, repeatable processes.
They act as a guidebook for your team, ensuring consistency and reducing stress.
Imagine if your staff had an SOP for handling discount requests like…
Step 1: Politely remind the customer of the agreed price.
Step 2: Explain the policy (e.g., “Our prices are fixed to ensure fair treatment for all customers”).
Step 3: If the customer insists, check if you have a discount range, and if it’s within the allocated amount, give it to them; if not, escalate to a manager following a set script.
Now, instead of frantic calls to you, your team knows exactly what to do, and the process is handled professionally every time.
Strategy
Here’s how you can start creating SOPs for your business today, even if you’ve never done it before:
Identify common, repetitive tasks.
For instance, handling payment-on-delivery disputes, processing refunds, or managing late deliveries.
If something has gone wrong before in your business that you have to step in to fix, write it down.
If you hate repeating yourself about a process that needs to be done, write it down.
If you need something to be done right every time without fail, write it down.
Write down each step of the process.
Keep it simple, clear, and actionable. For example:
For payment-on-delivery discounts:
Step 1: Greet the customer and confirm the order.
Step 2: Politely explain the no-discount policy.
Step 3: If they insist, give them if it’s within the range or contact a manager for final approval.
Test your SOP.
Have your team follow the steps during a real scenario.
Adjust as needed based on their feedback.
Keep testing, adding, and removing details in the SOP to make it perfect!
This small effort upfront can save you hours of headaches later.
3 Action Steps
- Choose one recurring issue in your business—like payment-on-delivery disputes—and create an SOP for it this week.
- Use tools like Google Docs, Notion, or even a simple Word document to store and share your SOPs.
- Train your team on the SOP and update it regularly as your processes improve.
SOPs aren’t just documents—they’re your freedom plan.
They empower your team to handle challenges without you, reduce errors, and create a better experience for your customers.
Imagine the peace of mind you’d have knowing your business could run smoothly without you being involved in every tiny decision.
Join Ecommerce Success Launchpad – Get all our best tools, training, community, AI & done for you ecommerce business systems to launch
I just added 10+ SOP for scaling ecommerce businesses inside Ecommerce Success Club
(for ONLY ecommerce businesses who want to scale their business) if you want it, send me a message.
Join Ecommerce Success Standup Coaching LIVE to hear me to deeper and show examples.
Check out our programs and see how we can help you start, launch, and scale your ecommerce business. Together, we’ll build a system-driven business that thrives—even when you’re not there.
