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I keep a work diary of what I have done, so I just look back and I can see what is due to be done again. Mostly it’s all in my head anyway, with just a quick look in the book to confirm.
I never let clients know when I am about to appear. But then with churchyards, cemeteries and other commercial work that isn’t relevant. The domestic clients don’t get notice though either. They would never want or expect that of me anyway. [I have exceptionally good clients] It’s a concept I have never understood. How could anyone promise a time with weather like we are having at present?
Being micro managed by a client is never going to happen. Many years ago I did encounter this sometimes. I was young enough then not to know any better. It really doesn’t have to be like that.
With commercial work that has a prescribed number of cuts, you have to manage the varied timing between cuts at certain times of the year. Stretching the cuts out where you can, so you can’t have a fixed schedule.
Some work is done every week, some every fortnight, some every three weeks or so and other work done when needed, like with council contracts that have a fixed annual price. So with this sort of contract you do the fewest cuts you can whilst still maintaining a high standard.
Just stretching a 14 day cut out to 17 or 18 days instead means fewer cuts over the year, so more money per cut. Leaving the grass for an extra 3 days makes no difference at all to how it looks or how it cuts. Sometimes in periods of low growth, this can be stretched out more.
So it becomes a juggling act. You have to keep an eye on this work. It always works out though, every year.
All of this has its own rhythm.
For me, the whole idea of working for yourself is to be in control over what you are doing and when you are doing it.
I agree with Vic .
But I use my phone for all my diary needs also whst I have done and what needs doing on my next visit as the little things are often forgotten. By using your phone you'll always have info at hand . I can hear some of you say "my hands may be dirty" Cal me a tart but I wouldn't enter my van to drive with dirty hands .
I hope this helps
Kieron
I have a written diary, most jobs are in my head and I work out my diary for the week ahead at the weekend. I almost always let clients know when I will be there, subject to weather being fit. For my grass cutting round it's the same every week/ fortnight so folk know roughly when to expect me. I also keep last year's diary in the van so I can refer to what I was doing a year ago, can be quite interesting to see if I am roughly at the same point regarding grass/ hedges.
Currently we use google calender as all the jobs are listed on there and simply recur accordingly to their contracted specification, I.e. weekly/fortnightly etc. Then the jobs are divided up manually by me geographically in the two vans/teams onto a work plan.
a lot of our customers don't mind when it gets done, just so long as it gets done! We do have a few that will need to know when we are coming as some of the sites have lots of trades in and they either get everyone in on one day or spread them out so we can all park etc.
it works but as the business grows is becoming more and more admin, fortunately some of the jobs we have added recently have been very large ones but if it had been loads of small ones I can see me sitting down for hours doing it, when I am doing it I think there has to be a better way?
Having a very small van plays a big part as i have to organise my kit in such a way that my trips out are always efficient .
A big mower can easily fill up my van so i have a big mower day and then do the gardens which dont require mowing at all on different days .
Generally just work to a hit list based on efficiency hand written on a list and in code because we are supposed to respect our customers privacy , no names , addresses or gate codes .
I have sketch books on board as well for sketching ideas and making rough notes on surveys and keep planting lists from previous projects which have worked well .
Can't do with pinging electronic devices and alarm reminders on my phone telling me where i should be but i do have a very annoying expedition grid watch which chimes loudly dead on 12 oclock and can't seem to shut it down but it does remind me to take a break .
A colleague of mine uses a digital notebook (its not a laptop, just a really thin A4-ish tablet, and all it does is "notes"). I've seen several people use such things, and all of them were a nuisance in one way or another, but I think hers is brilliant, but I can't remember the brand. I'll see if I can find out.
I lost my paper notebook once, with it went a treasure trove of information ... I've done it all on computer since, but I into that habit before phones had cameras etc. which might provide a suitable backup.
There's a growing number of scheduling apps from simple, free solutions to more complex integrated systems. Many have been discussed on LJN with nearly all running a version on iOS or Android to place your work schedule firmly at your fingertips. The more complex integrate into accounts systems for simple, seamless invoicng.
If you want to go near paperless, the best digital notebook I've seen is the 'reMarkable' device - I now use one for taking handwritten notes, drawings and marking up plans, sketches when out on site - creates PDF's, OCR etc, downloadable / customisable templates - links into your phone and desktop etc
I checked with my colleague, the one she has is also "reMarkable", she's very happy with it, although she said she thought the newer Version2 was better than her Version1
Yes, the Mk2 version has improvements learnt from Mk1 product - but that's technology...They create the need to have you upgrade!!! I had one of the first batch as a beta user and was "wowed over" by it ...and I still am.
So useful for site visits and walkarounds. The ability to down loadforms/templates and mark up PDF's/phots/plans etc makes it a very, very useful business tool.
Gary - do you subscribe or just use it as a standalone product?
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