SOPs, KPIs, CRMs... But What Does It All Mean, Basil?

You ever feel like business lingo sounds like it belongs in another galaxy? SOPs, KPIs, CRMs... I mean seriously, what does it all mean, Basil?

I remember early on in my corporate days, I’d hear these terms tossed around like common knowledge. At first, I thought I’d missed a memo, but soon realized—I wasn’t alone. If I didn’t know what something meant, odds were, someone else didn’t either.

Fast forward to now, after dozens of strategy sessions and webinars, and I’m still coming across clients who are hearing these acronyms for the first time. So if that’s you—no shame, no stress. Let’s go over a few together and clear it up.

Grab your coffee or tea, and let’s dive in.

SOP stands for Standard Operating Procedure or Process. It’s basically the “how-to” for tasks in your business.

Think of it like the training manual you might’ve had in your high school job. You know, the laminated checklist that showed you how to close the store or clean the espresso machine? That’s exactly the energy we’re channeling here. But now, it’s for your business.

The goal is to take all those brilliant things that live in your head and get them somewhere else. Even if it’s just you running the show for now, creating SOPs is a foundational move. Because when it’s time to hire, onboard, or scale—you’ll already have the groundwork in place.

Not a fan of writing it all down? No problem. Record yourself doing the task using Loom, Zoom, or Scribe. It still counts. You’re building assets that support your business in the long run, and you’ll thank yourself later.

Next up—KPI, which stands for Key Performance Indicator.

This is just a fancy way of saying “how do we measure if something is working?” KPIs are tied to your goals, whether that's tracking sales, engagement on social media, or progress with a new team member.

Let’s use social media as an example. Say you hire a social media manager. Before you start, you create an audit of your current metrics: followers, reach, engagement, all the numbers that show where things stand. Then, you set goals based on what success looks like for you—maybe more reach, stronger engagement, or more clicks to your website.

Those are your KPIs. They help you measure if the strategy is aligned, if the person you’ve hired is delivering, and if you're making progress in the right direction. If the numbers aren’t being met, it opens the door for reflection. Are the goals realistic? Was enough support provided? Is this still the right fit?

KPIs help guide those conversations with clarity instead of confusion.

Last but not least—CRM, which stands for Customer Relationship Management.

This is usually a type of software that helps you organize all your contacts, clients, and communication. Whether you're keeping track of leads, sending out newsletters, or building email automations, a good CRM is your best friend.

And if you’re not quite ready for software? I’ve worked with plenty of people who track everything in Excel or Google Sheets. It might not be flashy, but it works. Over time, moving into a platform that lets you tag contacts (like “client,” “lead,” “family,” or “network”) can help segment your messaging, streamline your sales process, and keep things from falling through the cracks.

A good CRM makes it easy to send updates about your next event, let people know about a podcast drop, or follow up with leads without digging through your inbox.

Plus, having an organized customer list increases the value of your business. So it’s more than just admin—it’s smart business strategy.

These three tools—SOPs, KPIs, and CRMs—are key to building stronger systems in your business. They help bring structure, clarity, and long-term value. Whether you're refining what you already have or just starting to put the pieces together, the first step is figuring out what your goals are and where you want to grow.

From there, you can start exploring what systems will help support that growth.

And if it feels overwhelming? That’s totally okay. Shoot me a message and let’s get you set up for success—one step at a time.