How much of what you do is in your head? Shame on you! I know you’re going to groan, but what happens if you get hit by a bus? We’ll assume you just have a broken jaw and you’re laid up for a week. But it’s during a product launch. You’ve promised this product to your raving fans for months and they’re waiting anxiously to throw money at you. You can’t talk. And your hospital room has no internet access. Stupid hospital. What were they thinking?
So you get a bright idea; “Oh! I know, I’ll have my VA or best friend or significant other to do the last bits of the launch! Perfect!” So you pick up the phone and start to dial. Um, but you can’t talk. You think, “Why did I not take the time to write this stuff down?” Because you’re normal. You’re the typical entrepreneur. You keep WAY too much stuff in your head, and way way WAY too little of it is written down.
Now pay attention. I’m going to tell you the big secret. There’s no big secret. It’s easy. Just take the time to do it. Here are the super complicated steps to protecting your business and your sanity.
[Oh, and BTW, did it occur to you that if this stuff was written down you could let other people take care of these details all the time -- and you would have a whole lot more freedom to focus on creating an even better business?]
- Next time you setup a new product (or do any other regular activity for that matter), STOP for a minute and think about the steps that are necessary. As you work your way through the various tasks, write them down. All the steps, not just the big picture.
- You don’t have to write a novel, and you don’t have to write a software manual. These instructions are for someone who already understands at least the basics.
- Create a bullet or numbered list and write down the steps — in short, but understandable bits. Instead of “First you need to go to your shopping cart software and login.” Just write: “1. Login to shopping cart.”
- Put these instructions in a central, online storage space (or use collaboration software such as Central Desktop) that your assistant or a knowledgeable helper has access to. Create an online Operations Manual in your collaboration software and put all these great instructions you are going to create in there.
- Next time you break your jaw, the people around you will know how to find the information that they need to keep your ship afloat. (And hey, if you decide to fake it and go to Fiji, who’ll be the wiser?)
- Now, eat your jello and go to sleep.
