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The Small Agency
SOP Starter Kit
Five copy-and-fill standard operating procedure templates to get your agency out of one person's head and onto paper. Print them, drop them in Notion, or paste them into your docs and start filling.
01How to use this kitAnatomy + naming
02Blank master SOP templateFill-in-the-blanks
03Client onboarding (web design)Ready to use
04Pre-launch website QA checklistReady to use
05Employee first-day setupReady to use
06Client complaint handlingReady to use
By Your Name, CEO of Your Company. Built from the SOPs that keep a real agency running.
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How to use this kit
A standard operating procedure is a written document that explains exactly how to complete a recurring task. Detailed enough that someone who has never done it can, by following the steps.
Every SOP needs these six parts
1A clear trigger
What kicks it off, every time.
2Action-verb steps
One action each: Send, Create, Confirm.
3Linked templates
No hunting for the doc mid-task.
4A named owner
A specific person, never "the team."
5Who and when
"Within 48 hours," not "soon."
6A defined "done"
The clear end state, spelled out.
Name every SOP the same way
SOP - [Category] - [Process Name]
SOP - Client - Onboarding · SOP - HR - New Employee First Week · SOP - QA - Website Launch Checklist
The three-week rollout
- 1
Week 1–2. Every time you do a recurring task, write down your steps right after. Rough is fine.
- 2
Week 3. Pick the processes that cause the most pain when done inconsistently. Polish those first into the template on the next page.
- 3
Week 4. Hand each SOP to someone who has never done the task. Watch where they get stuck. Their confusion is your missing detail.
One rule that saves you. Document the repeatable risk first, not the prettiest dashboard. Start with client onboarding, QA, and invoicing. You can build the rest over time.
SOP · [ Process Name ]Master template
Trigger — what starts this process?
Steps — one action each, start with a verb
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
Links & references — templates, tools, docs
Complete when — the clear end state
SOP · Client Onboarding (Web Design)Owner: Project Manager
Trigger
Contract signed and deposit received.
Steps
- 1
Welcome email (within 2 hours of deposit). Send using template [link]. Include kickoff scheduling link and onboarding questionnaire. CC the assigned designer and account manager.
- 2
Create project infrastructure (within 24 hours). Set up the project in your PM tool, create the client folder from template [link], add the client as a guest, open a #client-name channel.
- 3
Review questionnaire (within 48 hours of receipt). Flag unclear answers for the kickoff and share relevant responses with the design team.
- 4
Kickoff call (within 5 business days of contract). Use the agenda template [link], record with permission, send action items within 24 hours.
- 5
Project timeline. Build it in the PM tool, share with the client, confirm understanding in writing.
Complete when
Client confirms the timeline in writing.
SOP · Pre-Launch Website QA ChecklistOwner: Lead Developer
Trigger
Site is built and staged, before you show or hand off to the client.
Functionality
- All links work (crawl or manual)
- Forms submit + notifications fire
- Search works (if applicable)
- Cart + checkout work (if applicable)
- 404 page displays correctly
- Old-URL redirects work (migrations)
Cross-browser & device
- Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge (latest)
- Desktop 1920px+ / laptop 1366px
- Tablet landscape + portrait
- Mobile 375px
Performance & SEO
- PageSpeed: desktop 90+ / mobile 80+
- Images optimized + lazy-loaded
- No console errors
- Compression (GZIP/Brotli) on
- Unique title tags + meta descriptions
- One H1 per page + image alt text
- XML sitemap generated
- Robots.txt configured
Security & legal
- SSL installed
- Spam protection on forms
- Strong admin credentials
- Backups configured
- Privacy policy published
- Cookie consent (if required)
Complete when
Developer and project manager both sign off, with the date.
SOP · Employee First-Day SetupOwner: Operations Manager
Trigger
Offer accepted and start date confirmed.
Before the start date
- Create email account
- Invite to Slack + PM tool
- Prepare hardware (if applicable)
- Send first-day logistics email
Day one — morning
- 1
Greet and office/team tour (15 min).
- 2
Workstation setup verification (30 min).
- 3
Confirm tool access: email, Slack, PM tool, time tracking, cloud storage.
- 4
HR paperwork + company overview (deck [link]).
Day one — afternoon
- 5
Team introductions + assigned buddy and lunch.
- 6
Role-specific tool training begins.
- 7
End-of-day check-in with manager.
Week-one goals
- Complete all tool training modules
- Shadow two client calls
- Complete first small task
- Daily 15-min manager check-in
Complete when
Onboarding checklist signed off and the new hire submits a Friday feedback form.
SOP · Client Complaint HandlingOwner: Account Manager
Trigger
A client expresses dissatisfaction by any channel. Match the tier, then act.
Tier 1 · Minor dissatisfactionRespond within 4 hrs
- Handler: Account Manager
- Acknowledge the concern, explain the situation if relevant
- Offer a solution (expedited revision, future accommodation)
- Document in client notes
Tier 2 · Significant issueRespond within 2 hrs
- Handler: Account Manager + Project Lead
- Immediate acknowledgment call, not just email
- Find the root cause internally before proposing fixes
- Propose concrete remediation + schedule a follow-up
- Document fully and debrief in the next team meeting
Tier 3 · Relationship-threateningRespond within 1 hr
- Handler: Agency Owner / Director
- Owner-to-owner call, genuine apology, no over-blaming
- Concrete plan with a timeline; consider a goodwill gesture
- Internal post-mortem + a process improvement
Escalate a tier when
The client says "unacceptable" or "considering other options," CCs their boss, threatens to cancel, or raises the same issue more than twice without resolution.