Chained to your business? Many owners can't take a real break

In my years of helping businesses build systems that work without the owner, I've noticed a pattern: most owners are overwhelmed by the idea of documenting everything. So they end up documenting nothing

Today, I want to share a practical approach to breaking that pattern - by focusing on just one critical process that could seriously impact your business if it suddenly disappeared

Why This Matters to You

Think about it for a moment.

What happens in your business if your bookkeeper falls ill?

Or if your tech person who manages all your systems suddenly leaves?

Or if the person who handles your most profitable client relationship goes on unexpected leave?

There are certain processes in every business that are both vital and vulnerable because they live entirely in one person's head. It might be someone on your team - or it might even be you.

Identifying and documenting just one of these needle-moving processes can be the difference between a minor disruption and a major crisis.

Why Most People Struggle With This

Most documentation efforts fail because they try to boil the ocean.

You've probably been there - starting with grand ambitions to document everything, getting halfway through one process, then getting pulled back into the day-to-day running of your business.

Another reason for failure is making documentation too complicated.

Nobody wants to create or read a 20-page manual for a single process.

But the biggest reason?

Most of us simply don't know where to start or how to structure the information in a way that's actually useful.

A Simple Method for Capturing Critical Processes

Here's my straightforward approach for documenting one high-value process:

1. Pick a process that matters.

Look for something that:

- Only one person knows how to do

- Would cause significant problems if not done

- Happens regularly (weekly or monthly)

- Has multiple steps or decision points

2. Start with the trigger.

What kicks off this process? Is it a specific date, an email, a client request? Be crystal clear about what initiates the action.

3. Use the "and then what?" technique.

Sit down with the person who owns this process and simply ask them to walk through it step by step. After each step, ask "and then what happens?" This simple question keeps the conversation flowing and uncovers details they might otherwise skip.

4. Keep it visual and simple.

Use Post-it notes for each step - just a few words per note. Arrange them in sequence on a wall or whiteboard. When you hit a decision point (if/then scenario), turn that Post-it on its side to form a diamond shape.

5. Capture the finer details separately.

Don't clutter your visual workflow. Keep a notebook where you record login details, special considerations, and other nuances that don't fit on the Post-its.

6. Test it with someone else.

Have someone unfamiliar with the process try to follow your documentation. Watch where they get confused or stuck - those are the gaps you need to fill.

The Time-Saving Documentation Shortcut

"But Diarmid," I hear you saying, "this still sounds time-consuming."

Here's my hack: you don't need to create the finished document yourself.

Just capture the raw information - the sequence of steps, decision points, and key details. Then use AI to format it into a proper Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).

For example:

1. Record a conversation with the process owner (with their permission, of course!)

2. Transcribe it or have AI transcribe it

3. Ask AI to format it into your standard SOP template

4. Review the result yourself to make sure nothing was missed or misunderstood

This approach cuts documentation time by 70% while still producing highly usable results.

Make It Findable and Improve It Over Time

Once you've documented your first critical process, two more steps are essential:

1. Store it somewhere accessible. Whether it's in a shared Google Drive, your company intranet, or a tool like Notion, make sure people can find it when they need it. The best documentation is useless if it's buried on someone's desktop.

2. Schedule a 90-day review. No process documentation is perfect the first time. Set a reminder to review it in 90 days - ideally after someone else has actually used it. Their feedback will make it even better.

Takeaways for Getting Started Today

Pick one process this week - just one - that would cause significant disruption if the person who handles it wasn't available.

Schedule 30 minutes with that person to map out the process using Post-its and the "and then what?" technique.

Use AI to help format your raw notes into a usable document, then store it where others can find it.

Remember, documentation doesn't have to be perfect to be valuable. Getting started with one critical process is far better than having perfect plans to document everything "someday."

In my software business, we started by documenting our client onboarding process. It wasn't our most complex process, but it was one that directly impacted new customer satisfaction. When the team member who handled it suddenly needed to take family leave, having that documentation meant another team member could step in seamlessly - saving both the customer relationship and significant revenue.

That's all for this week! Take a few minutes to identify that one critical process in your business, and block time in your calendar to document it using this approach.

PS. Let me know if you'd like to find out more about using AI to save time in your business.