When I first started out as an entrepreneur, it was just me. It’s a lonely space to be in sometimes because, in the beginning, you’re doing all the work yourself. A lot of businesses start this way, and if you’re here now, you know exactly what I’m talking about.

I’ll never forget the sound of the press as I worked late into the night, pressing the inside neck labels for my brand onto T-shirts. The screeching noise filled the room every time I pulled the press handle down, and the countdown timer began. I carefully placed each label inside the shirt, pulled it down firmly, and started the process all over again. Over and over, I thought, “I won’t be doing this forever.”

That’s when it hit me—I needed to document this process. It had to be duplicatable.

I often thought back to my days working at Checkers. I hated working the grill, but I couldn’t deny how their system made the job easier. Every task had a purpose. Lay the patties this way. Hit the button. Flip them at this time. Drain them like this. Everything was spelled out, and everyone followed the same guidelines. That consistency is what delivered the same product every time.

Fast forward to building my company, Unapologetic®, I realized I needed to apply the same logic. For the most part, I thought I was doing okay. I brought in help, and we were making things happen. But then I got sick. I was hospitalized for almost two weeks, and everything began to unravel.

The gaps in my system became glaringly obvious. Why? Because I had been doing so much of the work myself. Without a Standard Operating Procedure in place, my business didn’t have the structure it needed to run smoothly without me.

That’s when I truly understood the importance of working on your business, not just in it. As entrepreneurs, we have to take time to step back and create systems that make our businesses operate efficiently even in our absence.

Now, this doesn’t happen overnight. But it starts with documenting what you’re learning as you go. Write it down. Refine it. Then begin placing people in those roles, even if they’re interns.

If you want to build a business that lasts, you need consistency, efficiency, and the ability to produce a great product every time. Standard Operating Procedures are the foundation for that kind of success.

God Bless The Entrepreneur