What the Epic Kitten Mix-Up Taught Me About Simplifying Business Processes
The Epic Kitten Mix-Up And What It Taught Me About Business Processes
Last week I shared that we adopted two kittens, Lilah and Leo.
And oddly enough, the whole experience reminded me how important it is to simplify business processes.
And thanks to two readers, Pam and Alice, Leo officially got his name.
We loved it.
The family vote was…mixed. Some of the kids weren’t convinced. But my husband and I overruled them because Leo and Lilah together are just adorable.
Now.
I promise I’m not going to write about kittens every week. But this one is just too epic not to share.
When we adopted Leo and Lilah from the shelter, they explained how to tell them apart.
One female.
One male.
They even showed us what to look for.
And because Leo had been neutered, they said there would be a little green mark indicating the procedure.
I actually recorded the instructions on my phone.
So when we got home, I pulled up the recording, confirmed what we heard, and we put their collars on.
All good. Or so we thought.
Fast forward about a week. Something in the back of my mind kept nagging at me. You know that little voice that says, something isn’t quite right here…
So yesterday our vet (who also happens to be our neighbor) came by. Took one look and confirmed it. We had them backwards.
Leo was Lila.
And Lilah was Leo.
The epic kitten mix-up.
Thankfully we caught it early enough that Lilah had only just started responding to her name. So retraining her won’t be too bad.
But the whole thing got me thinking.
It’s just like this in our business.
The shelter staff were lovely and doing their best to help us. But we were brand-new pet owners.
We were nervous, overwhelmed and processing a lot.
“Wait… we’re bringing home TWO cats? What are we doing?”
Meanwhile they were giving us a stream of instructions.
And while they did explain things, there were a couple simple things that could have made the whole process much easier.
They could have put the collars on while we were there instead of relying on us to do it later. And they could have written the instructions down. Because maybe we misunderstood. Maybe we heard “him” instead of “her.”
But if it had been written somewhere simple and clear, we could have double-checked. No guessing required.
I see this all the time in business.
We know our process so well. We explain it once. And in our minds it feels perfectly clear.
But the person on the other side?
They’re brand new to thism, overwhelmed and processing ten other things at the same time.
Which means the easier and clearer we make things…The better experience they have.
Tiny clarity changes can prevent big mix-ups.
Even epic kitten ones.
If you're setting up onboarding, workflows, or processes in your business, here are six simple things that make everything easier for the people on the other side.
6 Ways to Make Your Business Processes Easier for Clients
1. Simplify more than you think you need to
When someone is new to your process, everything feels bigger and more complicated than it does to you.
Look at your steps and ask: Can this be simpler?
Five steps might be able to become three.
Three tools might become one.
Simplicity reduces friction and helps people move forward faster.
Easy-breezy wins every time.
2. Write things down
Even when we explain things clearly, people forget.
They mishear and they get distracted.
Written instructions give people a place to return when they need clarity.
A short checklist, a simple guide or a few bullet points.
It doesn’t have to be fancy. It just has to exist.
3. Show people what you mean
Explaining is good but showing is so much better.
Screenshots, examples, templates.
When people can see what they’re supposed to do, confusion drops dramatically.
One tool I love for this is Scribe.
It records your screen while you go through a process and automatically turns it into a step-by-step guide with screenshots and written instructions.
What would normally take twenty minutes to document suddenly takes about two.
It’s one of the fastest ways I’ve found to create clear instructions for clients or team members.
4. Remove “later” whenever possible
“Just do this when you get home.”
That’s usually where things fall apart.
If something can be done during the process, do it then.
The fewer steps someone has to remember later, the smoother everything becomes.
5. Test it and see where people get hung up
This step is where the real learning happens.
You can write what feels like a perfectly clear process and still miss the places where someone new will hesitate.
Have someone walk through it.
A client, a team member or even a friend.
Watch where they pause, notice what questions they ask and pay attention to where they guess.
Those are the places that need better clarity. Not more complexity. Just clearer guidance.
6. Look at your process through beginner eyes
This one matters most.
You know your systems and your clients don’t.
Ask yourself:
Where might someone hesitate?
Where might they guess?
Where might they feel unsure?
Those are the places where a little extra clarity makes a big difference.
When processes are clear and simple, people feel confident.
They move forward faster and the whole experience becomes smoother for everyone which is always the goal.
A little clarity goes a long way.
And if you're looking at your own onboarding, workflows, or processes thinking, this could probably be a lot simpler…you're not alone.
This is the kind of work I help clients with every day.
If you'd like a second set of eyes on what you're building, I'd be happy to help.
Lilah and Leo
Frequently Asked Questions
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Clear business processes help clients understand what to do and what to expect. When instructions are simple and well organized, people feel more confident moving forward. This reduces confusion, prevents mistakes, and creates a smoother overall experience.
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Start by looking for ways to remove unnecessary steps. Ask yourself if something can be done sooner, explained more clearly, or combined with another step. Writing instructions down, using screenshots, and testing the process with someone new can quickly reveal where things can be simplified.
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The easiest approach is to walk through the process yourself and record the steps as you go. Tools like screenshots, short videos, or step-by-step guides help people follow along. Many business owners use tools like Scribe to automatically create visual instructions while completing a task.
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The best way is to watch someone else go through it. Notice where they pause, ask questions, or make guesses about what to do next. Those moments usually reveal where the instructions need more clarity or where the process can be simplified.
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A good onboarding process explains what will happen next, what the client needs to do, and where to find important information. Clear instructions, simple steps, and helpful resources make it easier for clients to get started and feel confident working with you.