Doing paperwork in the morning

[adamangler]

2 things that i have learnt annoy me about window cleaning

1. Before this job i was used to getting up about 6:30-7:00 and going to work shorly after, nowadays i still rise about 7 as im just used to it but i dont leave the house to start domestic whilst about 8:45 (aim to get to the first one at 9am)

Does anyone start much earlier than 9 btw and how do you get on? ive always felt a bit intrusive before then and quite often wake people up at that time.

2. Paperwork/ texting cuties, chasing payments, printing stuff off, sorting van out, facebook, website etc etc.

Lost count of the hours i spend on an evening fecking about. I know its hard being self employed but its getting annoying messing about with work related stuff all evening.

So, i had the clever idea of doing all the sorting out on a morning. And it works much better! been doing it for a week or so now and it feels like ive got some time back.

I get a good hour or more on a morning to sort everything out, i created a list of daily tasks so i just tick it off. Mark yesterdays jobs as done along with payments, check whos paid, remind non payers, check email, text everyone for gates, basically keep on top of everything.

The only thing i do now after i come home from work is put the van tank on fill and put battery on charge if needed, not one thought of work till the next day.

How do you guys go about all the extra bits and pieces we have to do? do you find it a chore? or do you like the constant work.

Im trying to treat this job like a 9-5, or a 7-3 in my case, be more organised and effective with time.

 

[Dave B]

I sort my water in the morning but do my admin in the evening

Takes 10 minutes per evening and then send a group text to the odd few that need it

15 minutes and i am done

I never go to bed before about 1am anyway so no issue

 

[1393jason]

2 things that i have learnt annoy me about window cleaning
1. Before this job i was used to getting up about 6:30-7:00 and going to work shorly after, nowadays i still rise about 7 as im just used to it but i dont leave the house to start domestic whilst about 8:45 (aim to get to the first one at 9am)

Does anyone start much earlier than 9 btw and how do you get on? ive always felt a bit intrusive before then and quite often wake people up at that time.

2. Paperwork/ texting cuties, chasing payments, printing stuff off, sorting van out, facebook, website etc etc.

Lost count of the hours i spend on an evening fecking about. I know its hard being self employed but its getting annoying messing about with work related stuff all evening.

So, i had the clever idea of doing all the sorting out on a morning. And it works much better! been doing it for a week or so now and it feels like ive got some time back.

I get a good hour or more on a morning to sort everything out, i created a list of daily tasks so i just tick it off. Mark yesterdays jobs as done along with payments, check whos paid, remind non payers, check email, text everyone for gates, basically keep on top of everything.

The only thing i do now after i come home from work is put the van tank on fill and put battery on charge if needed, not one thought of work till the next day.

How do you guys go about all the extra bits and pieces we have to do? do you find it a chore? or do you like the constant work.

Im trying to treat this job like a 9-5, or a 7-3 in my case, be more organised and effective with time.

If you do not enjoy the admin side of things you could always sub it out. It will take time to get the right individual, but it is 100% worth it and in time you will wonder how you managed without them.

 

[Chris33]

At night when finish I fill van with two water tubs for next day (trad),then put fresh scrims on the dash.

Get in,add money due from that day to money due sheet on laptop,write out next days work; and on the other side of that sheet I write a list of people (trying to keep it geographical) I will chap for cash once work is done.

Any new houses picked up on the run are added to laptop worksheet at night too,same time I'm checking PayPal/bacs and updating that money due sheet

 

[Damo]

This is why I use cleaner planner.

Come home from work.

Upload work sheet from today.

Download tomorrow's sheet.

Send texts to go out at 7pm. Regardless what time it is.

Mark off online payments.

Fill van (15mins)

Start up static system (auto shut off)

Emails and texts are dealt with during the day. Phones goes to voice mail after 5.30pm.

I spend around an hour making my work sheets on a Sunday night. Works very well indeed.

Invoices. Texts. Debts. Go cardless. All handled via cleaner planner.

View attachment 8539

 

[Adams0211]

If I started paperwork in the morning I'd never leave the house. I get up at 7am and am starting my first house at 8am.

I've got to know who I can go to early and who to leave til later in the morning. Tomorrow morning, for example, will be starting at 7am as I know the woman leaves for work at 6am.

As far as the admin goes, I'm having a bit of a nightmare at the moment. Since my dad had his accident I've been going to the hospital/rehab centre straight from work, spending the afternoon there and then sorting the dinner and kids out when I get home. All my admin is being done whenever I get a spare five minutes and I've been getting a bit bogged down by it all. I need to find a few hours with no distractions so I can sit down and get my **** together.

 

[RapidRyan]

This is why I use cleaner planner.
Come home from work.

Upload work sheet from today.

Download tomorrow's sheet.

Send texts to go out at 7pm. Regardless what time it is.

Mark off online payments.

Fill van (15mins)

Start up static system (auto shut off)

Emails and texts are dealt with during the day. Phones goes to voice mail after 5.30pm.

I spend around an hour making my work sheets on a Sunday night. Works very well indeed.

Invoices. Texts. Debts. Go cardless. All handled via cleaner planner.

I'm intrigued by the idea of going over to cleaner planner, but I have some questions. What about if you have jobs in same location but they are cleaned at different frequencies 4 8 & 12 weekly for example? Does it work out which ones to leave off the work sheet each month?

Sent using the Window Cleaning Forums app

 

[Damo]

I'm intrigued by the idea of going over to cleaner planner, but I have some questions. What about if you have jobs in same location but they are cleaned at different frequencies 4 8 & 12 weekly for example? Does it work out which ones to leave off the work sheet each month?

Sent using the Window Cleaning Forums app

Well yeah because they ain't due lol.

You basically make your own work sheet for the day. Mark off the work as done. Missed. Who paid. During the day. Sync. Upload work sheet job done.

 

[RapidRyan]

Well yeah because they ain't due lol.
You basically make your own work sheet for the day. Mark off the work as done. Missed. Who paid. During the day. Sync. Upload work sheet job done.

Haha ok I must not totally understand how it works. I think I'm a little the wiser now though. Cheers

Sent using the Window Cleaning Forums app

 

[Gavin]

Wish I had cleaner planner when I was cleaning it sounds like a dream!

 

[Markyboy 50]

If I'm on domestics I start on first one at 7.30. I'm usually on commercials first tho! When I done a huge house last week i was there at 6.45. Paperwork etc in the eve for 15 mins

 

[Chris33]

Evening paperwork seems easier @adamangler,for me anyway. Its all fresh in the head; ie cash due,and then chill....

 

[Dave B]

Mines all done for the night

Been to Barnet to new martial arts club training silat

Having a well earned beer

The admin took a whole 10 minutes in the motor in the car park in barnet on my android phone

 

[Damo]

Wish I had cleaner planner when I was cleaning it sounds like a dream!

For all 20 customers ? /emoticons/tongue.png

 

[adamangler]

Ok, i go to bed about 11.

Mine seems to take an hour, probably because i do so much other stuff got to c

This is why I use cleaner planner.
Come home from work.

Upload work sheet from today.

Download tomorrow's sheet.

Send texts to go out at 7pm. Regardless what time it is.

Mark off online payments.

Fill van (15mins)

Start up static system (auto shut off)

Emails and texts are dealt with during the day. Phones goes to voice mail after 5.30pm.

I spend around an hour making my work sheets on a Sunday night. Works very well indeed.

Invoices. Texts. Debts. Go cardless. All handled via cleaner planner.

This sounds great. Unfortunately I don't know what I'm doing one day to the next as call might come in and I end up doing something else and having to juggle the windows round it. Would be much easier if I just cleaned windows

 

[Damo]

I fit work around a busy window cleaning round. If a call came in today for conny roof clean tomorrow i would tell them to jog on lol.

 

[adamangler]

Yeh different for me as I do have the room just means changing plans last minute. Not always possible but I need the bigger jobs for cash flow as getting paid for windows is a slow process

 

[Alien Human]

I'm not very well organised by nature and often chop and change things last minute which is why CP has been so good. Its so easy to add jobs, prepare and move things around if needed.

It's literally like having a personal assistant nagging in my ear as if I don't keep on top of it on a daily basis then it all becomes a bit of a nightmare. Well worth the money. Going to be upgrading to the next level up next month.

 

[Solarpanelcleanington]

I play guitar and drink coffee til 9am. Life is good.

 

[steve garwood]

I play guitar and drink coffee til 9am. Life is good.

Talking of instruments, I saw an Australian man playing dancing queen on a didgeridoo this morning.

I thought, wow, that's Abbarigonal /emoticons/biggrin.png

 

[Kennygggkent]

I want to do all my paper work as soon as I get in but really it gets done in dribs and drabs over the evening and then into the weekend. Would be so nice and succinct if I could go right 20-30mins once I get in, but emails and texts fly in a all manner of times and take my attention. Not to much of pain but would be nice to do it clinically in one go.