SOP-004  ·  Rev 1.0
[OPENING AND CLOSING CHECKLIST SOP]

The opening and closing routine is where small businesses lose money in ways nobody notices: the register never balanced because a step was skipped, the alarm was set on the wrong day, the fridge was left on over a weekend. This template turns the routine into one checklist that is the same every time, so a forgotten step is visible and attributable. It is written for any business with a physical premises and a shift handover. The worked example covers a small cafe. Keep the list short enough to actually do — the failure mode of these checklists is that they grow until nobody reads them.

1.  PURPOSE
    > Note — One sentence on why this procedure exists.
    [PURPOSE]

2.  SCOPE
    > Note — Which shifts and premises this covers.
    [SCOPE]

3.  OPENING
    > Note — The steps to complete before the doors open, in order.
    [OPEN_1]
    [OPEN_2]
    [OPEN_3]
    [OPEN_READY]

4.  CLOSING
    > Note — The steps to complete at close, in order.
    [CLOSE_1]
    [CLOSE_2]
    [CLOSE_3]
    [CLOSE_CHECK]

5.  CASH AND RECORDS
    > Note — The money count and the handover record.
    [CASH]
    [HANDOVER_NOTE]

6.  EXCEPTIONS
    > Note — What to do when a step cannot be completed.
    [EXCEPTION]

Free to use in your own documents, including commercially.

Worked example

1

Purpose

Note — One sentence on why this procedure exists.

Change bar — replace this

To open and close the shop the same way every day, with every step checked and signed, so a skipped step is visible and has an owner.

2

Scope

Note — Which shifts and premises this covers.

Change bar — replace this

The weekday and weekend shifts at the High Street shop. The delivery van is out of scope.

3

Opening

Note — The steps to complete before the doors open, in order.

Change bar — replace this

Unlock the front door and disarm the alarm, then lock the door behind you.

Change bar — replace this

Turn on the lights, the till and the coffee machine; confirm the water is up to temperature.

Change bar — replace this

Count the float from the safe and confirm it matches the opening balance on the sheet.

Change bar — replace this

The shop is lit, the till is up, the float matches, and the first customer can be served.

4

Closing

Note — The steps to complete at close, in order.

Change bar — replace this

Wipe down the counters and the machine, and put away all food for the night.

Change bar — replace this

Run the end-of-day till report and count the cash against it.

Change bar — replace this

Turn off the lights and the machine, check the fridge door is closed, and set the alarm.

Change bar — replace this

Cash matches the report, fridge is closed, alarm is set, and the front door is locked.

5

Cash and records

Note — The money count and the handover record.

Change bar — replace this

Cash is counted against the end-of-day report, the difference is noted, and the takings go in the safe.

Change bar — replace this

The closing person leaves the float count and any issue for the next shift on the clipboard by the safe.

6

Exceptions

Note — What to do when a step cannot be completed.

Change bar — replace this

If cash does not match or a step cannot be done, call the owner and leave a note. Do not leave the shop unlocked to 'finish later'.

A

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What the kit holds

Register Column headings — number, title, owner, revision, approval date, review-due date

Review cadence Who reviews what, how often, and what triggers an off-cycle revision

Rollout plan The thirty-day sequence for getting a team to actually use the documents

Numbering scheme How to number documents so the system survives its first fifty

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