Step 5 of 8
Step 5: document business processes without losing six months
To document business processes is to write down how the work really gets done, clearly enough that a competent person can do it without calling you. Not binders nobody reads: short procedures, checklists, screen recordings and an up-to-date org chart. That's what makes your systems transferable.
No commitment. No cost. 45 minutes.
Focus regions: Eastern Townships (Estrie) · Montérégie · Centre-du-Québec · Mauricie · Quebec City region (Capitale-Nationale) · Montreal · Laval · Laurentians (Laurentides). 1 regional partner.
5articles to go further
This step is part of service 1: Automate and augment. The three services together deliver the best result.
What you'll have at the end
- A short procedure for each key process
- The owner's know-how captured: pricing, tricks of the trade, client history
- An org chart with roles and responsibilities
- One single place where everything is stored and kept current
How to do it
- Have the process documented by the person who does it, not by you
- Record the screen while they do it, then summarize as a checklist
- Capture your know-how in recorded 30-minute interviews
- Have each procedure tested by someone else
- Store everything in one place and name an owner per document
Step 5 articles
Go deeper
Step 5 · Document
Documenting your processes without losing six months
Document business processes in a few weeks: who writes, which format, in what order. A simple method for documentation your team actually uses.
Read the article →Step 5 · Document
Writing procedures employees actually use
Standard operating procedures that are short, tested and easy to find. Six rules and a filled-in example so your team actually uses them.
Read the article →Step 5 · Document
Capturing the owner's know-how before they leave
An owner's knowledge transfer takes preparation: recorded interviews, client sheets, pricing rules. A method you can start this week.
Read the article →Step 5 · Document
The org chart and roles a buyer wants to see
A clear org chart with defined roles and responsibilities shows a business can run without its owner. What to include, plus a role sheet template.
Read the article →Step 5 · Document
The employee handbook as a transition tool
A current employee handbook passes on your rules and culture without you. What to include, what to avoid, and a plan to write it in a few weeks.
Read the article →
Frequently asked questions
- How long does it take to document a small business?
- With a good method, key processes can be documented in a few weeks. The trap is trying to write everything at once, by yourself.
- What format should I use?
- The simplest possible: checklists, short videos, diagrams. A one-page procedure gets used more than a 40-page manual.
- Does a buyer actually read the documentation?
- They look at it during due diligence, mostly to judge whether the business can run without you. Its existence matters as much as its content.
Do it with a pro
You can do it all yourself. With us, it gets done faster, and better.
We and our regional partner implement each step directly in your business, while you keep running it.
No commitment. No cost. 45 minutes.
Focus regions: Eastern Townships (Estrie) · Montérégie · Centre-du-Québec · Mauricie · Quebec City region (Capitale-Nationale) · Montreal · Laval · Laurentians (Laurentides). 1 regional partner.