The "Hit By A Bus" Test: The Ultimate SOP Checklist for Small Business Owners

Introduction

Let's start with a morbid but necessary question: If you were hit by a bus tomorrow and couldn't work for 3 months, would your business survive?

For 90% of Indian MSME founders, the answer is a terrifying "No."

Your sales team doesn't know how to approve a discount without asking you. Your accountant doesn't know which vendors to prioritize. Your operations manager doesn't know how to handle that one specific client who needs special packaging.

Your business isn't a system; it's a series of fires that only you know how to extinguish.

The only way to escape this "Founder's Trap" is through Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). But wait - before you scroll away thinking this is boring corporate paperwork, let me stop you.

SOPs are not 100-page manuals that gather dust in a cupboard. In 2026, an SOP is a 3-minute Loom video. It is a 5-point checklist on WhatsApp. It is the "source code" of your company.

This guide provides a comprehensive SOP checklist for small business owners, specifically designed for the fast-paced, chaotic reality of the Indian market.

Part 1: The "Video-First" Methodology (Stop Writing Manuals)

The biggest mistake founders make is trying to write SOPs. You sit down to write a "Procurement Policy," stare at a blank Word doc for 20 minutes, get bored, and quit.

The Solution: Record, Don't Write.

1. Identify the Task: e.g., "Creating a GST Invoice." 2. Hit Record: Use a tool like Loom or Vidyard. 3. Do the Task: Perform the task on your screen while talking through what you are doing. "Okay, first I log into Zoho Books, then I click 'New Invoice'. Make sure you select the correct 'Place of Supply' or the IGST calculation will be wrong..." 4. Save & Share: Save this video in a Google Drive folder named "Finance SOPs."

Done. You have just created an SOP in the exact time it took to do the task.

Part 2: The Master SOP Checklist for Small Business

You cannot document everything at once. Use this checklist to prioritize the "Critical Path" processes - the ones that, if broken, stop the cash flow.

A. Finance & Accounts (Priority: High)

If this breaks, you run out of cash.

• [ ] Invoicing Process: How to generate a bill, what tax codes (HSN/SAC) to use, and who approves it.
• [ ] Collections Follow-up: A script for the accounts team to call clients who are 30+ days overdue. (e.g., "Monday morning calls script").
• [ ] Vendor Payments: Who gets paid first during a cash crunch? What is the approval limit for the accountant (e.g., up to ₹10,000)?
• [ ] Petty Cash Handling: How is cash dispensed, and how are receipts digitized?

B. Sales & Marketing (Priority: High)

If this breaks, growth stops.

• [ ] The "First Call" Script: How should a salesperson answer the phone? What are the qualifying questions?
• [ ] Proposal Template: A standard format for quotes so your team doesn't send ugly, unformatted Word docs to clients.
• [ ] Lead Entry: How to enter a new lead into the CRM (Zoho/Salesforce). Required fields (Name, Number, Source).
• [ ] Objection Handling: A "Cheat Sheet" for common objections like "Your price is too high" or "We are happy with our current vendor."

C. Operations & Delivery (Priority: Medium)

If this breaks, you lose customers.

• [ ] Client Onboarding: What happens immediately after a deal is signed? (Welcome email, WhatsApp group creation, Project kickoff).
• [ ] Quality Control (QC) Checklist: The final 5 things to check before a product is shipped or a service is delivered.
• [ ] Inventory Reordering: At what stock level do we reorder? (The "Reorder Point").
• [ ] Complaint Escalation: If a customer is angry, who handles it? What is the "Make Good" offer we are allowed to give?

D. HR & Admin (Priority: Low - but essential for peace of mind)

• [ ] Hiring Process: Standard job descriptions, interview questions, and the offer letter template.
• [ ] Onboarding New Hires: A checklist for Day 1 (Laptop setup, Email creation, Introduction to team).
• [ ] Leave Policy: How to apply for leave and who approves it.

Part 3: The "SOP Template" You Can Steal

Don't overcomplicate the format. If you must write it down, use this simple structure.

[Process Name]: Handling Customer Returns
[Owner]: Warehouse Manager
[Goal]: To process returns within 48 hours and update inventory.

Prerequisites:
- Customer Return Authorization (RA) number.
- Access to Inventory Management System.

The Steps:
1. Receive Package: Check the package for physical damage before opening.
2. Verify Contents: Match the item received with the RA slip.
- If mismatch: Take a photo and WhatsApp the Sales Rep immediately.
3. Quality Check:
- Grade A: Unopened, resellable → Put back in Main Stock.
- Grade B: Opened, functional → Put in "Refurbished" bin.
- Grade C: Damaged → Move to "Scrap" pile.
4. System Entry: Log into the ERP, go to "Returns," and mark the status.
5. Credit Note: Trigger the finance team to issue the credit note.

Video Walkthrough: [Link to Loom Video]

Part 4: Implementation - How to Make Them Use It

Writing the SOP is 20% of the work. Getting your staff to use it is 80%. The Indian workforce often resists documentation ("Sethji, I know how to do it, why write it down?").

The "Train the Trainer" Strategy:

• Don't write it yourself: Ask your best employee in that department to create the draft. They know the reality better than you.
• The "No SOP, No Answer" Rule: When an employee asks you a question that is already documented, do not answer them. Send them the link to the SOP. If you keep answering, they will never look at the document.
• Review Quarterly: Processes change. Set a calendar reminder every 90 days to "Audit SOPs."

Conclusion

Great businesses are boring. They are boring because they are predictable. McDonald's is boring. The burger tastes the same in Mumbai as it does in Delhi. That "boring" predictability is worth billions.

Use this SOP checklist for small business to build your own boring, predictable, and highly profitable machine.

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This guide is part of the Stratisian Vault - execution playbooks for scaling businesses across the India-GCC corridor.