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The one-page SOPOne procedure, one page

See one filled in, then write your own right here. Print it or copy it into your own document when you are done.

Write it for the person who has never done it before.

If it will not fit on one page, it is two procedures, so split it. Short steps, one action each, and a real name on every page.

Selene Powell, MBA, PMP

Here is one, filled in

A real procedure from my own business. Notice how short each step is, and that every step starts with a verb. The notes on the left are what each part is for.

The top line

What it is, who keeps it true, who does the steps, when it runs, the last day someone checked it, and which version this is.

New client onboarding, first 48 hours

Procedure name: New client onboarding, first 48 hours
Who owns it: Selene
Done by: Selene, until an assistant is hired
When it runs: Within 2 hours of a signed agreement
Last checked: 8 Sep 2026
Version: v1

1Why this exists

One plain sentence. It tells the reader why this matters before they start.

Why this exists

The first two days set the tone. If they feel sloppy, the client spends the rest of the project checking on me.

2Before you start

The files, tools, and logins you need before step one, so nobody stops halfway to go looking.

Before you start

The signed agreement, as a PDF.
The client’s billing email and the name of the person who signs things off.
An open 45-minute slot on the calendar in the next five working days.

3The steps

One action each, in order. Every step starts with a verb. If a step needs a paragraph, it is really two steps.

The steps

Save the signed agreement in the client folder. Name it Client name - Agreement - date.
Send the welcome email from the saved template. Attach a copy of the agreement.
Send the deposit invoice. Payment due in seven days.
Book the kickoff call, 45 minutes. Put the agenda in the invite itself.
Send the intake form. Ask for it back one full day before the call.
Add the client to the pipeline tracker and set the stage to Onboarding.
Put three checkpoints on the calendar: week one, midpoint, final delivery.
On the kickoff call, confirm the scope, the dates, and who decides what. Write it down during the call.
Within 24 hours of the call, email a short recap of everything agreed.

4You know it worked when

What finished looks like, so nobody has to ask.

You know it worked when

By hour 48 the client has the agreement, an invoice, a booked call and a written recap.
Nothing in the list is waiting on you to remember it.

5If it goes wrong

People reach for the page when something has gone wrong, so tell them what to do then.

If it goes wrong

No intake form one day before the call? Phone them. Never run a kickoff on guesses.
Deposit unpaid on day seven? Pause the work and say so in writing, kindly.

6Ask

Name the person, not the team. A name means someone is keeping this page true.

Ask

Selene Powell

Now write your own

Pick the one task you explain most often. That is usually the best place to start.

Your draft stays in this browser, on this device, until you clear it.

Three things that make an SOP get used

Name a person, never a team

“Ask ops” is how a procedure dies. A name means someone is responsible for keeping it true.

Put a date on it

An undated procedure is a rumor. If nobody has checked it in a year, nobody trusts it.

Write the failure, not just the happy path