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Develop Your Ops Manual

By Pat Wiklund

Republish: EasyPublish™ Published: 15Mar2007 Word count: 681 Viewed: 394 time(s) Get Free Content For Your Site

I used the word develop, not write on purpose in the title of this article. While your Operations Manual, Ops Manual, is a crucial tool in your Internal Management tool kit, you don't really write it.

Instead you collect it. You gather in one place lots of the bits of information your business depends on to run smoothly, face crises calmly, and allow you to back fill in a hurry. With a complete Ops Manual in place, you, or someone you designate, can act quickly to serve a client, get you out of a stuck spot, carry on when you're unavailable. You get the idea. Major Beer Truck insurance.

With a good Ops Manual, you'll never again search for the product code or password for your software, miss a deadline for domain registrations, lose the number of the ink for your letterhead, or the contact number for crucial vendors and suppliers.

Get started by adding an electronic sub-folder to your version of "My Business Administration" folder on your hard drive. Then start an electronic "Ops Manual" document (which you will print out in case of power failure, right?). Format the text with header style so you'll be able to quickly add a table of contents when you're finished. By adding a header and a footer with title, page numbers and file name and path (look in the auto text option in the header/footer format window of MSWord) you'll be able to find and navigate through the paper and electronic file so much faster. Then start adding sections and details.

ADMINISTRATIVE:

Administrative details can include a data base file to keep track of

a. your vendors and suppliers

b. sources and product numbers for key supplies

c. details from major purchases, cost, source, depreciation records, and serial numbers

d. insurance policies and coverage details

f. equipment and software, price, source, serial numbers, warrantees, service numbers, manuals and spare/extra parts

g. electronic back ups, where stored off site and on site h. opportunity preparation, passport, cash, credit card accounts and # to call if lost or stolen

f. most important of all…your file on files, a list of where you keep what (cuts down on major time lost for hunts for crucial details

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES:

a. your approach to financial planning and expenditures; your budget, and an empty copy of your one-page financial summary

b. intellectual property

c. customer service

d. vision and values e. procedure summaries, including how to do what needs to be done, step by step instructions for crucial activities, key contacts, forms and files

f. if you use subcontractors or have employees…all the files and information you'll need to stay legal, job and position descriptions, employment and compensation records, subcontractor contracts and policies

g. how to deal with money and mail coming in and money and mail going out

h. you'll also want to keep any electronic copies of policies and procedures in this central location

All of this gets summarized into your Ops Manual. I usually add a table of contents to the electronic file, and then print out a hard copy, the location of the electronic files noted on the inside of the front cover. And, of course, press a cd of the whole manual and its back up files. They go with the get away kit near the door so I can keep it in my portable office, and then a fuller version on the hard drives of both my laptop and desk top. Of course it's also included in my back ups kept on site and off site. Be prepared to move in a minute...if the need or the opportunity arises.

(Someone said I am paranoid about this...you bet! I live in earthquake country. The value in my electronic files is the information not the hardware its sits on. If I have to go in a minute, I want my business with me.)

Want more information about how to develop the tools to run your business more effectively?

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