Checklist
You forget a step. They forget a step. The intake call goes well but no one sent the contract. The deliverable goes out but the feedback form never did. A checklist is a documented list of steps to follow for a process. Simple, but it ensures consistency and makes delegation easier—someone else can run the process if the steps are written down. It's the lightweight version of an SOP; use it when you need order, not full procedure.
Same process, with and without. Without a checklist: "Did we send the welcome email? Did we create the folder?" You rely on memory. With a checklist: kickoff = send contract, send welcome email, create folder, add to CRM, send intake form. You or a VA can run it the same way every time. Checklists turn repeatable work into something anyone can execute.
Write the steps. Run the list. Delegate the list when it's clear enough.
Where to start
Onboarding and kickoff. New client = contract, welcome email, folder, CRM entry, intake form, calendar invite. Write the list once; run it every time. This is the highest-impact checklist for most domain experts—it's repeated for every client and easy to drop a step when you're busy.
Project handoff and delivery. What has to happen before the deliverable goes out? Draft, internal review, revision, final check, send, feedback form. A checklist keeps nothing from falling through.
Recurring routines. Weekly review: pipeline updated, follow-ups sent, next week scheduled. Monthly: invoices out, AR reviewed. Checklists turn "I'll remember" into "I did the list."
What breaks
Checklist that's too vague. "Send welcome email" is good. "Onboard the client" is not—it's not a step, it's a goal. Each line should be one concrete action. If someone can't do it without asking, break it down.
No one runs it. The checklist only works if it's the default. If you "usually" use it but sometimes skip it, you'll still miss steps. Make it the only way onboarding (or delivery) happens—link it from your project template or CRM so it's in the flow.