| Develop Your Ops Manual
I used the word develop, not write on purpose in the title of this article. While your Operations Manual, Ops Manual, is a crucial tool in your Internal Management tool kit, you don't really write it.
Instead you collect it. You gather to one place lots of the bits of information your business depends on to run smoothly, face crises calmly, and allow you to back fill in a hurry. With a complete Ops Manual in place, you, or someone you designate, can act quickly to serve a client, get you out of a stuck spot, carry on when you're unavailable. You get the idea. Major Beer Truck insurance.
With a good Ops Manual, you'll never again search for the product code or password for your software, miss a deadline for domain registrations, lose the number of the ink for your letterhead, or the contact number for crucial vendors and suppliers.
Get started by adding an electronic sub-folder to your version of "My Business Administration" folder on your hard drive. Then start an electronic "Ops Manual" document (which you will print out in case of power failure, right?). Format the text with header style so you'll be able to quickly add a table of contents when you're finished. By adding a header and a footer with Title, page numbers and file name and path (look in the auto text option in the header/footer format window of MSWord) you'll be able to find and navigate through the paper and electronic file so much faster. Then start adding sections and details.
Administrivia
Administrative details can include a data base file to keep track of
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your vendors and suppliers:
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sources and product numbers for key supplies
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details from major purchases, cost, source, depreciation records, and serial numbers
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insurance policies and coverage details
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equipment and software, price, source, serial numbers, warrantees, service numbers, manuals and spare/extra parts
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electronic back ups, where stored off site and on site
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opportunity preparation, passport, cash, credit card accounts and # to call if lost or stolen
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most important of all…your file on files, a list of where you keep what (cuts down on major time lost for hunts for crucial details
Policies and
Procedures
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your approach to financial planning and expenditures; your budget, and an empty copy of your one-page financial summary
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intellectual property
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customer service
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vision and values
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procedure summaries, including how to do what needs to be done, step by step instructions for crucial activities, key contacts, forms and files
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if you use subcontractors or have employees…all the files and information you’ll need to stay legal, job and position descriptions, employment and compensation records, subcontractor contracts and policies
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how to deal with money and mail coming in and money and mail going out
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you’ll also want to keep any electronic copies of policies and procedures in this central location
All of this gets summarized into your Ops Manual. I usually add a table of contents to the electronic file, and then print out a hard copy, the location of the electronic files noted on the inside of the front cover. And, of course, press a cd of the whole manual and its back up files. They go with the get away kit near the door so I can keep it in my portable office, and then a fuller version on the hard drives of both my laptop and desk top. Of course it's also included in my back ups kept on site and off site.
Be prepared to move in a minute...if the need or the opportunity arises.
(Someone said I am paranoid about this...you bet! I live in earthquake country. The value in my electronic files is the information not the hardware its sits on. If I have to go in a minute, I want my business with me.)
Want more information about how to develop
the tools to run your business more
effectively? Check out out our business tools
resources.
________
Patricia
Wiklund Ph.D., author, consultant, and coach
works with 1Person Business owners who want
to grow their businesses by getting and
staying focused, maximizing their sales and
marketing efforts, and delivering premier
services to their target markets.
Information on her coaching services and
on-line product catalogue can be found at
www.1PersonBusiness.com.
An
electronic version of this article is
available if you wish to reprint or repost
it. Please contact Dr. Pat Wiklund for
permission to reprint, and to see if there
is a royalty required for reprint. If
permission is granted, we request a hard
copy of the publication in which the article
appears. We request you include Pat's bio at
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information, and preferably, a photo. We'll
happily supply a 5x7 black and white or
color photo if you can use it.
Reprinting and
Reposting
An
electronic version of these articles is available if you
wish to reprint or repost one of them. Please contact Dr.
Pat Wiklund for permission to reprint, and to see if there
is a royalty required for reprint.
If permission is granted, we request a hard copy of the
publication in which the article appears. We request you
include Pat's bio at the end of the piece, along with
contract information, and preferably, a photo. We'll happily
supply a 5x7 black and white or color photo if you can use
it.
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