Build a weekly schedule from last year's traffic
Schedules get copied from last week, so you are short on busy days and overstaffed on slow ones.
Free library · 120 playbooks
The SOPs, checklists, and numbers to run the floor.
Practical playbooks for small and multi-location operators: retail shops, dispensaries, restaurants and bars, salons and medspas, clinics, marinas and resorts. Pick a problem, get the steps, run it on the next shift.
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Set a labor percentage target and track it daily
Labor cost is only checked at payroll, when it is too late to fix.
Cut a shift early without hurting service
Slow nights burn payroll because nobody has a rule for sending people home.
Run a shift swap policy that does not create holes
Staff trade shifts by text and the manager finds out when someone does not show.
Plan breaks so the floor is never empty
Everyone takes lunch at the same time and the store goes uncovered at noon.
Schedule stylists and providers around bookings
Providers sit idle in gaps while walk-ins get turned away.
Staff front desk by appointment volume
The front desk gets slammed at check-in peaks and sits quiet the rest of the day.
Cover call-outs fast with an on-call list
A morning call-out turns into an hour of texting while the shift starts short.
Set overtime rules before the week starts
Overtime shows up as a surprise on payroll every pay period.
Match bar staffing to events and weather
A game night or warm patio day catches the bar short-handed.
Schedule dock and fuel staff by tide and traffic
The fuel dock backs up on weekend mornings and sits empty mid-week.
Set minimum staffing for safety and security
Running one person on the floor leaves cash and product exposed.
Count a cash drawer the same way every time
Drawer counts vary by person, so shortages cannot be traced.
Investigate a cash shortage without accusing anyone
A short drawer turns into blame and nobody learns what happened.
Set a safe drop rule for high-cash days
Registers hold too much cash, which raises theft and robbery risk.
Close out daily sales in 15 minutes
End-of-day close drags on and numbers do not match.
Shorten your monthly close
Books take weeks to close, so decisions get made on old numbers.
Handle tip outs cleanly
Tip distribution causes arguments and record-keeping problems.
Control voids, refunds, and discounts
Unchecked voids and comps hide mistakes and theft.
Reconcile card processor deposits
Card deposits do not match sales and nobody checks why.
Run a cash-only business safely
Cash-heavy days create risk at the register, in the vault, and in transit.
Close out a bar tab system at night
Open tabs and walkouts leave money on the table.
Balance the ship store and fuel registers
Fuel, retail, and slip charges run through different systems and never tie out.
Collect patient payments at check-in
Copays and balances get skipped and turn into collections later.
Run a 20-minute opening checklist
Opening varies by manager and things get missed until a customer notices.
Close the store so the morning crew can open fast
Opening crews spend the first hour cleaning up the night before.
Open a kitchen and line in the right order
Line cooks start service with missing prep and cold equipment.
Close a bar with a written checklist
Bar closes vary and the morning crew finds sticky wells and missing stock.
Open a salon or medspa treatment room
Rooms are not ready when the first client arrives.
Close a clinic for the day
Charts stay open and rooms are not reset for morning.
Open a marina for the day
Docks, fuel, and rentals are not ready when guests arrive.
Use a manager walk at the top of each hour
Problems sit unnoticed between open and close.
Hand off between shifts in five minutes
The night shift does not know what happened in the morning.
Lock up and secure a dispensary at close
Close procedures miss steps required for product and cash security.
Open a front desk at a lodge or resort
Front desk starts the day without arrivals, room status, or issues.
Write a daily one-page operating plan
Each day runs on memory instead of a plan.
Greet browsers without saying "can I help you"
Customers answer "just looking" and the conversation ends.
Recommend an add-on that fits
Staff skip add-ons or push random items that annoy customers.
Ask for the sale without pressure
Conversations stall at "let me think about it."
Coach the floor with a one-page scorecard
Managers know who sells well but cannot explain why.
Suggest a second drink or dessert
Servers take orders and never suggest anything.
Rebook clients before they leave
Clients walk out without a next appointment and drift away.
Sell retail products in a salon
Product sits on shelves because providers feel salesy.
Upsell slip upgrades and rentals
Guests book the basic option and never hear about better ones.
Train budtenders to recommend without overselling
Budtenders either push the expensive item or just fill the order.
Merchandise your top sellers where people look
Best sellers sit in the back while slow items get the front table.
Set daily sales goals by hour
Teams only learn whether it was a good day at close.
Handle "it's cheaper online"
Staff freeze when customers mention a lower online price.
Write a job post that gets the right people
Job posts attract the wrong applicants or none at all.
Run a 20-minute structured interview
Interviews are casual chats and good talkers get hired over good workers.
Onboard a new hire in their first week
New hires shadow random people and learn bad habits.
Build a role checklist for training
Training depends on who is working that day.
Train a new server in five shifts
New servers are thrown on the floor before they know the menu.
Train new front desk staff at a clinic
New front desk staff make scheduling and billing errors in week one.
Coach a manager who is new to leading
Top performers get promoted and struggle to manage their friends.
Run a five-minute pre-shift huddle
Shifts start without a shared goal.
Hold a 30-day check-in with new hires
New hires quit in the first month and you never knew why.
Train budtenders on compliance from day one
New budtenders make ID and limit errors that put the license at risk.
Cross-train staff across departments
One department is slammed while another stands around.
Write an exit interview that tells you something
Staff leave and you guess why.
Count inventory without closing the store
Full counts are painful, so they rarely happen.
Set reorder points for top sellers
You run out of best sellers and overstock slow items.
Track bar pour costs weekly
Liquor costs drift up and nobody knows where it is going.
Reduce kitchen food waste
Food gets thrown out every night and costs pile up.
Cut shrink at the register
Losses come from register errors and theft at checkout.
Receive deliveries correctly
Short shipments and damaged goods get paid in full.
Track product in a dispensary from receipt to sale
Inventory gaps create compliance risk and losses.
Manage backbar supplies in a salon
Color and supplies run out mid-service.
Control medical supply inventory
Clinics overbuy supplies or run out of the basics.
Stock the ship store for the season
Ship stores run out of basics on holiday weekends.
Handle damaged and expired product
Damaged product sits on shelves or disappears off the books.
Find your dead stock and move it
Cash is tied up in items that do not sell.
Handle a complaint in four steps
Staff get defensive or freeze when a customer complains.
Recover a bad experience at the table
An upset diner leaves and never returns.
Make check-in feel fast
Patients wait at the desk and start the visit annoyed.
Set service standards for your front line
Every employee treats customers differently.
Collect reviews without begging
Happy customers leave and unhappy ones write reviews.
Answer the phone like you mean it
Calls ring out or get rushed answers.
Welcome guests at a resort or marina
Guests arrive and nobody greets them or explains anything.
Run a consultation for a new medspa client
New clients feel rushed or sold to.
Handle a wait at the host stand
Guests wait without information and leave.
Manage returns without losing the customer
Returns turn into arguments.
Train staff to know regular customers
Regulars feel like strangers each visit.
Follow up after a service visit
Clients do not hear from you until the reminder.
Build a one-page daily sales report
Owners get too much data or none.
Track average ticket by employee
You do not know who is driving sales.
Run a weekly ops meeting in 30 minutes
Weekly meetings drag and nothing changes.
Track sales per labor hour
You cannot tell if staffing matches demand.
Compare locations fairly
Location managers argue that numbers are not comparable.
Track rebooking and retention
You do not know if clients come back.
Track table turns and covers
You do not know if the dining room is busy enough.
Track patient no-show rates
No-shows waste provider time.
Track occupancy and revenue per room
You know bookings but not how well rooms are earning.
Set up a weekly P&L review
The P&L is a mystery until year end.
Track inventory turns
Stock sits too long and ties up cash.
Track conversion rate
You know sales but not how many visitors buy.
Check IDs every time
One missed ID can cost you your license.
Run a sanitation checklist
Sanitation slips between inspections.
Keep food safety logs
Temperature logs are filled out at the end of the day from memory.
Post required labor notices
Required postings are missing or out of date.
Keep employee files complete
Missing paperwork creates risk in an audit.
Follow privacy rules at the front desk
Patient details get overheard or left out.
Run a fire and safety walk
Exits get blocked and extinguishers expire.
Train staff on responsible alcohol service
Overserving creates liability and safety problems.
Handle hazardous materials safely
Fuel and chemicals create risk if mishandled.
Keep licenses and permits current
Expired permits lead to fines or shutdowns.
Document incidents correctly
Incidents are not written down and become disputes later.
Train staff on harassment policy
Staff do not know how to report problems.
Plan seasonal hiring three months early
You hire too late for the busy season and train during the rush.
Bring back last season's staff
You start from zero every year.
Staff up for the holiday rush
Holiday crowds overwhelm the floor.
Run a quick seasonal training
Seasonal staff get no training and make mistakes.
Wind down after the season
Staffing stays high after demand drops.
Plan for spring break and summer crowds
Restaurants near tourist areas get slammed with no warning.
Schedule around holidays and requests
Holiday requests create conflict and coverage gaps.
Prepare for a summer slowdown
Patient volume drops and staff sit idle.
Run a seasonal inventory plan
Seasonal items run out or pile up.
Prep for wedding and event season
Event bookings overwhelm providers.
Handle weather-driven demand swings
Weather changes traffic overnight.
Build a seasonal staff handbook
Seasonal staff do not know the rules.
About MJ
I'm MJ Stapley. I run operations and finance for multi-location businesses. I've run a nine-location service business and a resort with lodging, a marina, food and beverage, retail, and fuel, all under one roof.
At the resort we grew peak-season revenue about 30% while holding labor around 5.3% of revenue. I cut a monthly close from about 30 days to 10. Before that, I built retail sales training that reached more than 10,000 employees across 400+ retail locations in the U.S. and U.K.
Most small operators I meet don't have SOPs, checklists, or a handful of numbers they look at every morning. They have good people running on memory. This library is what I'd hand them on day one. It's free, and it will keep growing.
I now consult through Nine Ventures. Find me on X at @mjhybrid.
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