5 SOPs Every Service-Based Business Needs Before Hiring a VA
Why bother with SOPs first?
Hiring a Virtual Assistant without clear systems is like handing someone your phone with 30 open apps and no passwords saved. They can try to help, but it is going to be slow, messy, and a little painful for everyone.
Standard Operating Procedures turn the chaos into clarity. They:
Cut onboarding time in half
Reduce task errors and follow-up questions
Make sure you pay for implementation, not mind-reading
Ready? Here are the five SOPs your service business needs before you slide that VA contract across the digital desk.
1. Client Onboarding Playbook
What it covers
Step-by-step from proposal accepted to kick-off call
Template emails, contract links, and first-invoice checklist
Who owns each step (you, VA, finance tool)
Why it matters
A smooth onboarding experience keeps buyers’ remorse at zero and referrals at max. Your VA can handle 80% of this once the playbook exists.
2. Inbox Triage Rules
What it covers
Priority tags (VIP clients, sales leads, billing)
Pre-written replies for FAQs
Daily and weekly check logs
Why it matters
Email is still the biggest time-thief in small business. Clear triage rules let your VA empty that inbox while you stay looped in on only the need-to-knows.
3. Content Publishing Workflow
What it covers
Idea capture → draft → design → schedule → repurpose
Folder naming rules in Google Drive or Notion
Approval deadlines so content actually ships on time
Why it matters
Half-done posts earn 0 engagement. A repeatable workflow turns random inspiration into consistent visibility and lets your VA batch schedule weeks-ahead.
4. Payment & Invoice Protocol
What it covers
How and when invoices go out
Auto-reminder settings in Stripe or QuickBooks
Escalation steps for overdue payments
Why it matters
Cash flow pauses when you chase payments by memory. Automate the polite nudges and let your VA handle follow-ups with a script that sounds like you, not a robot.
5. Weekly Metrics Snapshot
What it covers
Key numbers: revenue, leads, client delivery hours, top-performing content
Where each metric lives (dashboard link, spreadsheet, tool)
Who updates and who reviews
Why it matters
Data-driven CEOs make quicker decisions. Hand off the data-gathering so you spend your brainpower on strategy, not spreadsheet spelunking.
Feeling gaps you cannot even see?
These five SOPs will set a solid baseline, but if your systems still feel clunky (or non-existent), an Ops Audit will pinpoint the bottlenecks fast.
Book your Ops Audit now and turn scattered tasks into streamlined growth.
