A processes and procedures manual is an essential document for your business, regardless of how large or small a company you have. This manual helps keep your business efficient and growing, whilst also ensuring everyone inside is working to the same high standards and practices.
This document is so essential, we’ve been running a little blog series on it, to ensure you have all the information you need, to both understand it and create one for your business!
In the second part of our processes and procedures blog series we touched on how important it is, that your procedures manual becomes both a valuable resource and a working document for your business. (Missed that blog? You can read it here: Why Your Business Needs A Procedures Manual).
Today, we’re going to look at little more at how valuable and hard working your processes and procedures manual is for your business.
Your manual works with you and your long term business plans
The business plans you have now are most likely very different to those you had when you first started out . And that’s understandable, but what’s great but a processes and procedures manual is it helps you plan for those long term business aspirations.
What do you want to happen, in your later life – and how will that affect your business? Are you planning to run it until you retire, but then have it fade away and close? Maybe you want your business to be your retirement investment and main source of income, or want a legacy you can hand down the generations. If that’s the case, you need a manual that accurately reflects what’s needed, to continue growing your business in your absence.
A processes and procedures manual enables you to manage growth
Your processes and procedures manual will include details of how long each task or process takes, as well as the frequency of each. If you’re looking to grow your business and need to employ more staff, this information comes in really useful, as it enables you calculate how much more time, as well as the number of staff you’re going to need, to complete those jobs and reach your new business goals.
Works when you’re building a team
If you’re looking to grow your business, there’s going to be a need to employ new staff. Your manual works well here, as it details every role, task and step your new team member needs to take, in order to do their job well.
The procedures manual is only a useful resource, as long as you’ve included all of your processes and procedures. (Not sure what to include? Check out the first blog in the series: What Processes And Procedures Are In Your Business and if you still need to get your Manual up and running, check out blog three in the series: How To Create A Simple Processes and Procedures Manual).
Covers changes in the team
Change affects all businesses and no more is this evident than in the changes that will crop up in your team. Whether you’re looking to bring in temporary cover to cover existing roles (such as maternity leave and holiday days), outsource to Virtual Assistants and home workers, or if you’re looking to expand and grow a new team, your processes and procedures manual will provide answers and guidance for every step.
Reflects your business ethos and values
The processes and procedures manual needs to accurately reflect your business ethos, vision and values. This ensures everyone knows what overall standards need to be adhered to, as well as ensuring they’re reflecting the correct type of image for the business.
Over time though, the direction and focus of your business may change. This could be down to new management or an increased clarity in its values, but regardless of the reasons, your processes and procedures manual will need to accurately reflect those changes.
The processes and procedures manual is a valuable document for your business
if you’re planning to sell your business, having a comprehensive and up-to-date processes and procedures manual will help make it more attractive to investors and buyers alike. Those buying, will be in effect, be getting a complete business in a box. Investors and buyers alike, will know the standards the business is presently known for and will have a clear process to follow, once they’re taken over the reins. They then have time to decide on any changes, and to implement them, further down the line.
Your processes and procedures manual works hard for you, so it’s essential you get the creation of it right. If you’d like some help creating your business processes and procedures manual, Virtual Hand can help! Whether you’re looking for a template to follow, want some help documenting the information you already have, or want to hand it over as a complete project for someone else to compile and create for you from scratch – you’ll want to check out your available options here!
