#10 - Systems That Set You Free: The Solopreneur’s Guide to Creating SOPs That Work
Have you ever tried to explain a simple task to someone and watched their eyes glaze over five minutes in?
I have. And it's not a great feeling.
Last year, I hired my first virtual assistant. I was SO excited to finally get some help with my never-ending to-do list. But that excitement quickly faded when I realised I had no idea how to actually explain all the things that lived in my head.
"Just respond to the inquiry emails," I said.
"But... how exactly do you want me to respond?" she asked.
Good question. How did I want her to respond? What was my process? What templates did I use? When did I follow up?
I didn't have answers because I'd never bothered to document anything. Each client interaction was a freestyle jazz performance—sometimes brilliant, sometimes... not so much.
That's when I discovered the not-so-secret weapon that changed EVERYTHING in my business: Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
Now before you click away thinking "SOPs are for big companies, not little old me," let me stop you right there. That's exactly what I thought too. And I was completely wrong.
Why SOPs Matter (Even When It's Just You)
When I first started my photography business, I was working as a one-woman show. There were so many moving parts—photography, editing, client communication, marketing, you name it. It felt like I was constantly spinning plates.
And, as much as I loved the creative side of things, I quickly realised that without some structure, the operational side of my business was starting to overwhelm me.
I'd find myself up at 2 AM, frantically searching through emails trying to remember if I'd sent that client their contract, or if I'd remembered to back up their images.
Sound familiar?
Here's the truth: most of us start our photography businesses because we love taking photos, not because we love creating systems. We're artists at heart. The idea of sitting down and documenting every single process in our business sounds about as fun as watching paint dry.
But here's what I discovered: without systems, you're building your business on quicksand.
The Moment Everything Changed
The turning point came when I hired my first virtual assistant (VA). I had reached a point where I simply couldn't manage everything on my own. My calendar was bursting at the seams, and I was starting to drop balls—forgetting to respond to inquiries, missing deadlines, and worst of all, delivering inconsistent experiences to my clients.
As I began to delegate tasks, it became obvious that I needed clear systems in place to make the transition smooth—for both me and my VA. Without a proper system, there was no way to ensure consistency and quality in the work, especially as my business grew.
That's when I realised how crucial Standard Operating Procedures were. The idea of writing everything down felt tedious at first—I won't lie about that. But it turned out to be an absolute game changer.
The first SOP I created was for managing client communications—from initial inquiry to post-session follow-up. I documented every single email template I used, every step in my client workflow, and every checkpoint along the way. It was like creating a roadmap for my VA, and for me, it created a sense of peace knowing that everything had its place.
SOPs Aren't Just for Delegating
Let me pause here and clarify something important: SOPs aren't just about delegating. Even if you never plan to hire a team—even if you're committed to staying a solopreneur forever—SOPs will change your business.
Why? Because your brain is designed for creative work, not for remembering the 23 steps involved in onboarding a new client. When you document your processes, you free up mental bandwidth for the work that actually requires your unique creativity and expertise.
Looking back, I can't believe how much I resisted the idea of SOPs in the beginning. I thought I could just remember everything or handle it as things came up, but what I quickly learned is that relying on memory alone leads to mistakes, missed opportunities, and burnout. I was burning out. And honestly, I was starting to resent parts of my business, which is a scary feeling when you're passionate about what you do.
I remember one particularly chaotic week when I had three shoots back-to-back, a pile of editing to finish, and a website that needed updating. I was trying to keep track of everything in my head, and inevitably, things started falling through the cracks. I sent the wrong contract to a client, forgot to confirm the location for a session, and missed a deadline for submitting to a publication. That week was my breaking point.
I decided then and there that something had to change. I blocked off an entire weekend—no shoots, no editing, no client calls—and dedicated it to creating SOPs for every aspect of my business.
It wasn't easy, and it wasn't particularly fun, but by the end of that weekend, I had documented my core processes: client onboarding, session preparation, post-processing workflow, and delivery protocol. The relief I felt was immediate and profound. For the first time in months, I didn't feel like my business was running me; I was running my business.
The Tools That Made It Possible
Then, I discovered tools like Folge and Loom. They became my saving grace. These tools helped me document processes that I could easily share with my team (and in some cases, it was just me doing things in a more efficient, automated way).
Let me tell you about Loom specifically because it changed everything for me. Instead of trying to write out detailed instructions for complex tasks, I could simply record my screen and talk through the process as I did it. This was especially helpful for technical things like my editing workflow in Lightroom or how I organise my client galleries.
One of the first tasks I automated was the client booking process. By creating a detailed SOP for how I handle client inquiries, how I schedule sessions, and how I send reminders, I reduced so much stress. Instead of scrambling to respond to emails last minute, I had a process that kept me organised and on track.
Here's what that SOP looked like:
Receive inquiry through contact form
Send initial response email with pricing guide within 24 hours (using template A in my email system)
If client responds interested, send booking link and availability calendar
Once session is booked, trigger automated welcome sequence
Two days before session, send location and wardrobe guidance email
Day after session, send sneak peek and timeline for full gallery
Having this documented meant that I never had to wonder what to do next or which email template to use. It was all right there, step by step.
Real-World Example: How SOPs Saved My Editing Process
Another area where SOPs made a huge difference was in my editing workflow. Before SOPs, my editing process was inconsistent at best. Sometimes I'd cull first, sometimes I'd just dive into editing. Sometimes I'd export for web and print at the same time, sometimes I'd forget the web exports entirely. There was no rhyme or reason to it, which meant the process took longer than necessary and the results weren't always consistent.
By creating an SOP for my editing workflow, I not only standardised the process—making my editing style more consistent—but I also shaved hours off my editing time.
My editing SOP included everything from how I transfer files from my SD cards to my computer, to the exact order of adjustments I make in Lightroom, to my final export settings for different delivery methods. Having this documented meant that even when I was exhausted after a long wedding, I could follow the steps without having to make decisions or rely on my tired brain to remember everything.
Small Business, Big Impact
One of the biggest lessons I learned was that SOPs aren't just for big businesses. As a solopreneur, creating and using SOPs gave me the freedom to focus more on the creative work that I love. They helped me keep my business running smoothly without needing to be involved in every single detail every single day.
And now, when I think back on that first chaotic year, I realise how much SOPs helped me find balance. They weren't a miracle cure—I still had to do the work—but they provided a framework that made the work more manageable and less overwhelming.
How to Create Your First SOP (Without Losing Your Mind)
So how do you start creating SOPs for your photography business? Here's my step-by-step approach:
Identify your core processes. These are the things you do repeatedly in your business. For most photographers, this includes:
Client inquiry and booking
Session preparation
The actual photoshoot
Editing and post-processing
Gallery delivery and client follow-up
Marketing and social media
Pick one process to document first. I recommend starting with something straightforward but high-impact, like your client booking process.
Document the process step by step. Be as detailed as possible. Include everything from the email templates you use to the specific buttons you click in your software. Remember, you're creating this for someone who has never done this task before—whether that's a future team member or your future self on a day when your brain is fried.
Use tools to make this easier. As I mentioned, Loom is fantastic for recording screen-based processes. For text-based SOPs, I use Google Docs or Notion. There are also dedicated SOP tools like Folge that can streamline the process even further.
Test your SOP. Follow the steps exactly as written to make sure nothing is missing. Then, refine as needed.
Schedule regular reviews of your SOPs. As your business evolves, your processes will too. Make sure your documentation stays current.
The Day SOPs Saved My Business (Literally)
Let me share one more personal story about the power of SOPs. Last year, I got sick—really sick—just days before a major wedding. I had a fever, could barely get out of bed, and knew there was no way I could photograph the event. In the past, this would have been a complete disaster. I would have had to scramble to find a replacement photographer and then spend hours explaining my process, my expectations, and the specific details for this client.
But because I had SOPs in place, I was able to quickly find a colleague who could step in, send her my wedding day SOP document, and rest assured that the client would still receive an experience that aligned with my brand. The wedding went smoothly, the couple was thrilled with their photos, and I was able to focus on recovering without the added stress of trying to manage every detail from my sickbed.
That's the power of SOPs: they make your business resilient. They ensure that the quality of your work doesn't depend entirely on you being at your best every single day.
But Won't SOPs Kill My Creativity?
Now, I know what some of you might be thinking: "But Caitlin, won't creating systems make my business feel too corporate, too rigid? I became a photographer to escape that kind of structure."
I get that concern—I really do. But here's what I've found: having clear systems doesn't diminish creativity; it enhances it. When you're not constantly worrying about the administrative details, when you're not reinventing the wheel with every client, you have more mental and emotional energy for the creative aspects of your work.
Think of SOPs as the foundation of your business house. A solid foundation doesn't dictate what the house looks like above it—you still get to choose the paint colours, the furniture, the décor. But that foundation makes sure the whole structure doesn't come crashing down when the wind blows.
Similarly, SOPs don't dictate your artistic style or your client experience. They simply ensure that the operational aspects of your business run smoothly, freeing you up to pour your creativity into the areas where it matters most.
Another benefit of SOPs that I didn't expect was how much they helped with client trust. When clients can see that you have a clear, consistent process, it reassures them that they're in good hands. They know exactly what to expect and when to expect it, which dramatically reduces anxiety on their part and the number of "just checking in" emails on yours.
For example, my client onboarding SOP includes sending a welcome guide that outlines the entire process from booking to gallery delivery. Clients consistently tell me how much they appreciate knowing what comes next, and I've noticed a significant reduction in mid-process questions since implementing this system.
The Bottom Line
If you take nothing else away from this post, remember this: SOPs are not about turning you into a robot or diminishing what makes your photography business unique. They're about creating space for your uniqueness to shine through consistently, without being bogged down by operational chaos.
They're about respecting your time and energy enough to create systems that support you rather than drain you. And ultimately, they're about building a business that serves your life, not the other way around.
Focus Assignment of the Week:
Decide where to house your SOP library. It could be as simple as a Google Drive or Dropbox folder of PDFs and Videos, or as detailed as an Airtable with instructions and attachments. Just started somewhere and create the library.
Next, identify a process that you do yourself, but infrequently enough that you always kinda forget how to do it.
Download Folge and create your very first SOP PDF documenting how to do this task. Add it to your SOP library!
Then, the next time you need to complete that process, follow your SOP exactly. Notice how it feels to work from a documented system rather than trying to remember every step. Notice how much mental bandwidth is freed up when you're not having to reinvent the wheel.