No Time for Paperwork

The easiest part of my job is the cemetery work, mainly because it’s simplest to plan: If I have three plantings to complete by the end of the weekend, I can estimate the travel time, plus working time at the cemetery, and schedule it all to finish before the sun sets. It’s obvious I need to purchase plants before I hit the cemetery, so it’s a simple task to look at my calendar and find time to go to the nursery. If I need to split it over a few days, or squeeze it into one morning, there is still a pretty clear timing I need to follow. And the consequences if I don’t get it done are visible, too: I’ll lose my clients!

But what about the back-office work?

I used to wonder why it took so long for electricians and carpenters to send us an invoice for their work…didn’t they want to get paid? But wow, I totally get it now!

After a full day at my desk job, I’m tired! The last thing I want to do after dinner is sit back down and update client records or my website. And when my kids were younger, they needed attention (or a ride)…when was I supposed to work on my business?

As efficient as I have become at my post-client paperwork, it still takes time.

For example, last weekend I finished a cleaning for one client and a two-site cleaning/planting job for another. I didn’t have time to tackle the corresponding office work until Thursday night. It took a couple of hours, mainly because cleanings include creating a folder of before & after pictures that I share with my client. I also spent time updating the clients’ folders: I printed a photo of each site, created and printed the invoices, added them my finance spreadsheet, then updated and printed the client record. Finally, I emailed my clients with the invoice and photo folders.

Since I knew all the work ahead of me with the complex cleaning/planting paperwork, it took an even bigger effort to sit down at my desk on Thursday evening.

But the longer I wait on these tasks, the harder it is to remember what I did, and I know my clients want to know I’m finished…and see the final results! They actually want the invoice, too. They need closure on their open items as much as we do.

If no tasks are pressing (like an invoice), weeks can pass before I realize I haven’t been paying attention to my business. It’s so easy to get caught up with other things, especially if all my current jobs are in-process headstone cleanings. What starts out as a few days off can turn into a panic because I’m late setting up my fall planting schedule.

Suggestions

What works best for me is to plan my evenings ahead as much as I can, including “no work” nights. Mondays I have another commitment, and my brain is usually toast on Fridays, so each week I look at Tuesday–Thursday and figure out which nights I can spend an hour or two on my business. It’s tough to get started, but just like anything else, once I begin, I get involved in the task and it’s actually hard to stop working and go to bed.

If you like more of a regimen, try to find a set time block for a specific task. For example, Tuesday nights from 8–10 p.m. take care of any post-job work, and Saturdays from 7–8 a.m. you tackle marketing. This way, you have the time blocked out, and if you finish early or there’s no work to do for that particular task, you can give yourself back the time. Psychologically, it always feels like a gift when you get some time back in your schedule vs. trying to find time to add a task.

Finally, if you can’t seem to accomplish anything at home, go somewhere else. I like to spend at least an hour each weekend writing at my local Starbucks. I know I wouldn’t get nearly as much done if I was at home! When I’m out, I don’t see another thing to add to my to-do list every time I look up from my computer.

So, if you find yourself putting off paperwork (or realize you haven’t worked on your business in weeks): First, give yourself some grace—if this was easy, anyone could be a business owner. Next, try out the suggestions above. Finally, if one works, or you have a different method that works for you, reply to this email and tell me about it. I’d love to share it with the community!

Got to go now…I have some receipts to file.

See you in the cemetery!

Amy