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Buried in paperwork!

3K views 16 replies 12 participants last post by  Double-A 
#1 ·
I thought my wife would end up helping me with paperwork (and maybe even the phones) when she left her job. But since we had the baby, she hasn't had time to help me with the business in any way at all.
I have been extremely busy, but this week it really slowed down so i can finally catch up on paperwork. I AM BURIED IN IT AND I HATE IT! How do you guys handle it (one-man service shop)? I never seem to be able to keep on top of it. When I am done, I have to go through inventory and order materials to get re-stocked.
Its a catch-22, I can't afford to hire someone, but yet I can't seem to handle all the workload.:sad:
 
#3 ·
It really is not that tough . do you REALLY need ALL that paper work ?? Quickbooks , keep a running list of materials , get your calls forwarded to your cell ,,,,, answer the calls as they come in ,,,, customers LOVE THAT !

Cal
 
#11 ·
My wife doesn't even know how to print out a check in quickbooks, make less any thing else about my business except to ask how much money is in the account, etc.
I have tried to teach her some things about it but after being on a computer at her job all day she gets frustrated and won't listen. So I decided to just do it all myself. I know its difficult. Especially when you get a call late on a Friday and builder Joe Moe wants you on his job asap Monday. Then you have to take inventory of the truck for the particular situation, go to the computer and make out a material list, fax it and hope it gets there on time for Monday. And then go online and pay the gas card payment, the truck payment, the payment payment payment. Then sort through the pile of mail on my desk addressed to my company. What? 11:00 pm? Be right there honey. Oh yea, collect on Friday, go to the post office, when can I do plumbing for a change?
 
#12 ·
i hired a lady 2 years ago to answer phone. started out part time 8-12. after 6 months i hired her full time (4days per week) answers phone, pays bills, runs to bank, picks up permits, etc. i now have weekends free for family. just build cost into labor rate. i wish i had done this 10 years ago.
 
#13 ·
I hired a part-time financial manager to make entries into Quickbooks and pay bills.
I hired a part-time office manager to do filing, do call-taking and dispatching when available, to follow up on invoices that are outstanding, and to do all the office work I hate to do and really don't have to do anyway.

The cost for having them on staff is built into our selling price.

We're now a 1-1/2 truck company, down from 2-1/2 trucks.

Just hire out what you don't want to do and build the overhead into your selling price.
 
#14 ·
Seperate Staffers, if Possible

I second SuperPlumber's approach, which I also learned needed to be done. My only recommendation would be to keep the "income" person seperate from the "outgo" person. I'd rather have two part-time staffers, one doing accounts payable and bank deposits and the other writing the checks which I sign. Either that, or be sure to keep a good eye on the one person you have doing both. Learned that lesson the hard way several years ago.
Anybody agree?
 
#15 ·
Rather than pay someone else, would your wife be interested if you actually paid her? Helping and only getting compensated indirectly through your paycheck is different from actually receiving a paycheck yourself. If you let her know you are going to pay someone say $150.00 a week to help with paperwork, she may say 'for $150.00 I'll do it and keep the money.'

Just a thought . . .
 
#17 · (Edited)
The talk about "the wife" doing paperwork or helping out with it is a scary thought to me if she is not being paid. You guys do pay her for her work, right?

Paper work is a tool, nothing more. How you use that tool is just as important to running your business as how you choose to use a shovel or a torch. If you're prying on rocks or removing clean out covers with your shovel, you're not using the tool properly. If you're hammering nails or or defrosting your windsheild with your torch you're not using the tool properly.

What are you doing with your paperwork that requires so much time? Are you using too many features in Quick Books and are locked into too much fine detail on each and every transaction?

Money in, money out, payroll and tax payments to city/county feds and state. Weekly, monthly, quarterly, bi-annual and annual reports. what else are you trying to do here? These are 90% of what you need from any accounting system.

Walk me through a simple week. A really simple week. You have one 2" PVC long sweep DWV fitting in inventory on the truck. You do one job this week. Repair Delta 400 kitchen faucet and replace the dish spray head on same.

Please step me through all your paper work for that one job. Let's see where the bottle necks are.
 
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