There are hundreds of SOP templates available in the market for the cannabis business. It is tempting to buy these templates because they are cheaper and faster to acquire. However, in the long run, these will prove to be expensive.
Your specific need may not be catered to in these SOP templates. If you opt for customized SOPs, you can have what is relevant to your business thereby saving time, money, and effort at a later point when the templates no longer serve your needs.
Let us understand in this write-up how it is beneficial for your cannabis business to choose custom SOPs.
What are SOPs?
Cannabis businesses require Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that serve as guides for growers, cultivators, and dispensers to follow. These SOPs are the guidelines with the help of which cultivators can make sure of producing a good quality product, running their production units smoothly, and complying with federal and state regulations.
SOP development may seem challenging, but the processes are already with you needing to be documented. Understanding how you operate your business is the first step. Then think about how you ought to be performing them. Determine which method will be the norm if various people perform the same activities in different ways.
What are SOP templates?
An SOP template is the format used by your organization to record SOPs. These templates operate as a model (or numerous SOP samples) to follow and can help to ensure that yours is precise and of high quality.
When presenting processes to your team, the SOP template is usually prepared in Microsoft Word and has everything they need. The staff can adapt the SOP template to their unique use case by eliminating the content and replacing it with what they need.
What is custom SOP writing?
One thing common to cannabis businesses – whether you are a grower, cultivator, dispenser, retailer, or wholesaler, is the SOPs to manage your business. While there are many vendors offering SOPs for the cannabis business, your effectiveness can improve by leaps when you customize your SOPs.
In custom SOP writing, you need to consider every process or job as having a start and stop point to help you decide what SOPs you require and where there are overlaps. Custom SOPs will have all the unique points required for your business accurately including the regulations and compliances of your state.
You must communicate and enforce the custom SOPs in the organization after creating them. Create a frequent review procedure to update the custom SOPs as operations change and keep them safely stored where all employees can access them.
Benefits of custom SOPs
Let us jump into why custom SOPs are better.
Cost: At the outset, the SOP templates available in the market for cannabis businesses are cost-effective. Agreed!
But does one size fit all? No!
While the SOP templates appear to be cost-saving and faster to create, the reality is they may have to be replaced by custom SOPs at the time of state-wise licensing regulations. Which means you end up paying for SOPs twice.
You can move away from this roundabout process by choosing SOPs customized for your business thereby reducing cost by at least a few thousand dollars.
Time: Custom SOPs can save you time! Yes, that’s right!
When you are compiling all the required documents for your cannabis license application, you come across the mandatory SOPs that you must have to start your business. While many states in the US and Canada do not require them at the time of application, these are necessary during the evaluation processes.
It seems sensible to choose the readily available SOP templates while filling out your application for a cannabis license. However, you lose time when the state regulations vary, and you must customize these SOPs. How about opting for custom SOPs at the outset to save time and effort?
Better shot at a license in competitive states: If your state requires SOPs as part of the application, some evaluators will dock you if your content is like another applicant. That means that you stand a better chance of avoiding red flags during the evaluation process if you go for custom SOPs.
If your application gets on hold, the chances are slim for a smooth cannabis application and starting your business.
Better, more efficient operations and customer experience: Every business is unique. The value that you propose to bring to your cannabis business is different from that of your opponent. Custom SOPs will help match your unique market, branding, customer service approach, and company culture.
Start off right: Cannabis license regulations vary in each state. Combined with the local and the federal regulations your business must follow multiple compliances and regulations. When you opt for custom SOPs, you can make a good first impression with regulators and the public and avoid being held up by compliance violations and damaging your reputation with an unsatisfactory customer experience.
Why Forte SOPs?
We work with you and your team to develop your whole library of SOPs based on elements such as any current SOPs, the laws, and regulations of your state/province/city/country, your and your teams’ individual preferences, the corporate culture, and more.
Save thousands of dollars by NOT paying twice for SOP.
We also include tools like P&L reports, hiring tools, and evaluation tools specific to your requirement.
Talk to us for a better customized SOP experience!