The Business Playbook

About the Author

Chris Ronzio is the Founder and CEO of Trainual, a leading SaaS platform transforming the way small businesses onboard, train, and scale teams. Recognized as a two-time EY Entrepreneur of the Year Mountain Desert Region Award finalist and a recipient of Phoenix Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Awards, Chris is on a mission to help business leaders document and delegate tasks to focus on their passions. Serving businesses in over 170 countries, Trainual has been acknowledged on Inc.’s 2021 Best Workplaces list and ranked #1 on AZ Central’s inaugural top workplaces list for 2021. Chris also hosts The Fastest Growing Companies and Organize Chaos podcasts.

Main Idea

The Business Playbook: How to Document and Delegate What You Do So Your Company Can Grow Beyond You by Chris Ronzio is a comprehensive guide to creating a playbook for your business. The core idea is that by documenting processes, policies, and the company's unique culture, business owners can delegate more effectively, scale their operations, and ensure consistency across the organization. This playbook serves as the ultimate guide for future success, helping businesses to grow sustainably and operate efficiently even in the owner’s absence.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. The Four Elements of a Playbook
3. When, Where, How, and Whether to Start
4. Your Profile: Defining What Makes Your Business Unique
5. Your People: Making the Map for Who’s Who and What They Do
6. Your Policies: Writing the Rules of Play
7. Your Processes: Shifting from “How You Do It” to “How We Do It”
8. Conclusion

Introduction

Chris Ronzio opens the book with a powerful insight into the necessity of a playbook. He explains that many business owners have learned the hard way that being the only one who knows critical information can be a major bottleneck. He emphasizes the importance of an efficient workflow that is understood by everyone in the company and the value of being able to trust others with the operation of the business.

“Every owner wants the same thing: an efficient workflow that makes sense to everyone in the company. They and you, no doubt, want to be able to trust the operation of their business to someone else.” - Chris Ronzio

Ronzio's playbook concept is designed to capture all the essential knowledge about the business, allowing it to exist and thrive beyond the owner's direct involvement. This guide is aimed at helping business owners think about how to successfully onboard employees, shape a culture that values process and efficiency, and ultimately scale their business.

The Four Elements of a Playbook

Chris Ronzio introduces the four critical elements of a playbook, each starting with the letter "P": Profile, People, Policies, and Process. These elements are compared to the periodic table, with each element being essential and universal for building a comprehensive business playbook.

Profile

The Profile section of your playbook is like your business’s introduction. It includes your brand, culture, values, mission, vision, and history. This section explains to new hires or potential investors why you exist, who you serve, and how you differ from other businesses.

Key components of the Profile section include: