My dogs had a plan. My business didn’t. The surprising thing I finally got around to fixing.

Before I leave for a trip, my dog sitter gets the full rundown.

Feeding times. Which dog gets which bowl. Who likes to sneak food from the other dog’s dish (Gertrude). Where the treats are. Yes, they like vegetables—broccoli is a favorite. And don’t forget the ice. (Mildred will gladly remind you where it’s at!)

I include the vet’s number, the neighbors’ numbers, and instructions for what to do if the girls spot a squirrel and decide it’s time for an adventure. I don’t assume she’ll figure it out. I write it down every single time.

Then it hit me: I had better instructions for my dog sitter than I did for my business.

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I’ve been running my business for four years, and until recently, very little of it was documented. No written process for how to manage a client’s inbox. No step-by-step guide for onboarding a new client. No recorded walkthroughs of the platforms I use every day.

The closest I came was right before my back surgery. I quickly recorded a few videos for my husband—how to contact clients, how to send a refund, and who to call if he got stuck. It was bare-minimum “don’t let the business burn down” coverage that got us through an emergency, but it also scared me a little to realize how much information was living only in my head.

If something unexpected happened, would someone else know how to keep things moving? If I wanted to hand off more tasks in the future, where would they even begin?

The funny thing is, I know better.

I help clients create systems like this all the time. I’ve organized SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures), created training videos, and documented processes that make it easier for businesses to run smoothly. Yet somehow my own business was operating on a combination of memory, sticky notes, and a healthy dose of “I’ll remember that later.”

(You can probably guess how well that works.)

So this summer, I’m fixing that.

I’m working through my business one platform at a time, recording walkthrough videos with transcripts, and documenting exactly what I do, exactly how I do it. Nothing fancy—just clear instructions that would help someone else step in if needed.

And it’s not nearly as overwhelming as I thought it would be.

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If you’ve been putting this off, too, consider this your not-so-gentle nudge. You don’t need a giant operations manual or a perfectly organized binder. Start with one process. Record a quick video, create a checklist, or write out one task you do regularly.

One is better than zero, and that’s enough to get started.

Whether you’re planning a vacation, preparing for the unexpected, or simply hoping to delegate more in the future, your future self will thank you for taking the time to document what you know today.

And if creating systems and documenting processes keeps getting pushed to the bottom of your to-do list, that’s exactly the kind of project I love helping clients tackle.

After all, Mildred and Gertrude are covered. It’s time your business was too.