How do I teach a family member to run my online store’s daily orders?

Daily orders look simple until something goes wrong, so teach both the routine and the exceptions. Start by writing the sequence from the moment an order arrives: payment check, supplier or stock pick, packing or forwarding, tracking sent to the customer, and the record you keep. Take screenshots where the steps are in software, and note which steps are done by hand.

Teach in three rounds. First you do the work and explain it aloud. Next your relative does it while you watch and say nothing unless there is a mistake. Finally they run it on their own while you check the results at the end of the day. Move up gradually from straightforward orders to returns, address problems, out-of-stock items and angry customers.

Keep the family arrangement as clear as the business one. Agree who makes which decisions, what they can spend or refund without asking, and how you will talk about problems. Share access carefully, with their own logins instead of yours. If the business will one day pass to them, ask your lawyer and accountant about how that should be set up. Review the routine together after a while and update the written steps with what you both learn.

Key takeaways

• Write the routine and the exceptions before you teach either.
• Teach in rounds: you do, they do while you watch, they do while you check.
• Agree spending and refund limits and give them their own logins.