Minutes Matter Sources

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Dress Your Business for Success
by Debbie Green

There are many facets involved in achieving professionalism for your business. Listed below are some suggestions for developing a more professional image. Most of the suggestions are free and easy. Some require an investment and can be incorporated as your business grows.

First Contact:

Smile. Answer the phone with a cheerful tone. Forget whatever else you are doing and focus on that client. Clients can detect indifference in your voice. If you do not have enough time to talk with a client, let your assistant or answering machine take the call or make an appointment to call the person back later.
Brief description of business. Go over any design consultation fees, services you offer, and approximate lead time.
Pre-qualify client. Ask if the client has had custom window treatments in the past and whether they have a budget. A design consultation fee helps weed out non-serious clients.
Client information. Record client information on a preprinted appointment form. Forms should include the client’s name (Confirm spelling! There is nothing worse than a misspelled name on a proposal), address, phone numbers (home, office, fax, etc.), directions to client’s home, room or rooms to be redecorated, current decorating style, and room color. Record this information in the client database in your computer.
Future Marketing. Record how the client heard about you so that you know how your marketing strategies are working.
Appreciation. Thank the client for calling.

Appointment Day:

Confirm appointment. Call the day before to confirm the appointment and go over what is to be accomplished as well as any items you should bring.
Directions. Print the client information sheet created they day the appointment was made.
Items. Bring a cash receipt for the design fee, business cards, your brochure, fabric books, and brochures of any hard treatments. (All samples should be in excellent condition.)
Arrival. Be on time and dress in business/casual attire. Stand back from the door and smile.
Measure windows. Use preprinted measuring forms to record measurements of all windows. Preprinted forms help you to measure faster and more accurately. Record any details or comments made by the client about the treatments on the form.
Pictures. Use a digital camera to take pictures of all windows. Use these pictures along with the measuring forms to recall all the details of your client’s room and windows.

Toiling on:

Proposal. Prepare a proposal along with a contract and a cover letter. The cover letter should thank the client again for the opportunity to work with them and reiterate the 50% deposit policy as well as the approximate lead-time and the forms of payment you accept. I meet with the client again or mail or fax mine that day or within a couple of days after the appointment.
The commitment. When the client sends/gives you a deposit with the signed proposal and contract, turn the proposal into an invoice. Mail/give a copy of the invoice reflecting the payment to the client.
We’re on that. Inform the client of any backorders or delays—or just call to let them know that everything is on schedule.

Installation Day:

Products. Four days before installation, confirm that all drapery hardware, hard treatments and fabricated items have arrived or will be completed on time.
It’s done. Call client the day before to confirm the installation.
Bag it and tag it. All treatments should be bagged in plastic to protect them. All items should have an installation tag with client’s name, room, hardware, and information such as FL, FW, mounting height, etc.
The oo’s and ah’s. If an installer is installing the treatments, drop by to visit and see the treatments. Make sure client is pleased. (This can also be a learning experience for future jobs.)
Caring for treatments. Have a brochure printed about caring for custom window treatments.
A little of this and that. Give the clients swatch cards with samples of their fabrics. Pink the edges of each swatch and creatively display the swatches on a piece of tag board. Insert the tag board pages into sheet protectors and place in a black or white folder or binder. Swatch cards should also display your logo, address, telephone numbers, client’s name and name of room.

Continuing the Relationship:

Thank-You Letter. One week after the installation, send out a thank-you note. Possibly include a small gift such as coffee mugs with your business logo and gourmet coffee.
Newsletter. Send quarterly newsletters to all clients, even those who just had a proposal.
Christmas. Send Christmas cards to all clients thanking them for their business.

Cross the t’s and dot those i’s:

Education. Attend as many conferences, conventions, and seminars as you can. Education increases your confidence in every aspect of your business.
Files-to-go. Store a plastic milk crate with hanging file folders in your vehicle. The files should contain extra measuring forms, extra business cards, your brochures, hardware brochures, and hard-treatment brochures.
Give it up. Donate items to any organization that inquires about donations. It is very inexpensive to make a couple of custom pillows with leftover fabric scraps and trims. Speak to local organizations on current styles and colors. Being involved in your community gives your name recognition.
Hello, who’s there? Have a separate phone line for your business and an answering machine with an appropriate business greeting. Promptly return all calls.
Logo. Have business cards, letterhead and envelopes professionally printed with your logo. Include your website address on your business cards and letterhead.
Money, Money, Money! Require a 50% deposit with the acceptance of every proposal.
Ready for action. Keep a tool kit in your vehicle. The tool kit should be stocked with small tools and items that can help you repair almost anything.
Referrals. Send a thank-you note or call the person who referred a new client.
Seller beware. Have the client sign a contract stating, for example, that they have read the proposal and understand that custom products are not returnable; any deviation from the proposal may result in additional charges, etc. (Contract stipulations can be added directly to the proposal.)

The silent Employee. Use a computer to keep up with all your business expenses and your client database.

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Take Five to Survive
By Debbie Green

We have all heard, "Everyone has the same 24 hours in a day; the difference is how each person chooses to use them." It has been proven that using a priority task list can make all of us more productive. I believe making a “Daily Task List” may seem awkward at first, but it becomes easier each day.

Take five minutes at the beginning of each day to compile your task list. Break it down into two parts: major and minor tasks. Some minor tasks may be major tasks the next day. As you work on the list be sure it is feasible. If the list is overwhelming, that alone could be self-defeating. Decide which part of the day is your most productive time. Use this time to complete harder tasks and allocate the easier ones during your least-productive hours.

To help you be your best mentally, eat a light breakfast. Your body has fasted all night and is ready for some nourishment. You will feel less fatigued in the morning hours as a result.

Having a written task list provides several benefits. The likelihood of completing tasks is much higher when using a written list. There is a difference in having a mental list and an actual written list. A mental list can be side-tracked and forgotten after several interruptions. Having a written list also serves as a reminder of important tasks. Have you ever finished the day just to remember that you forgot to order tassel fringe that you need in two days to complete the top treatment that is to be installed in four days? Actually, that question in itself shows a breakdown in prioritizing. The tassel trim realistically should have been ordered two or three weeks prior.

Some tasks are so large they seem overwhelming. When the task is "organize the office" or "organize the workroom," these tasks are too large to be listed as one task. If the task is to organize the workroom, break it down into several parts, e.g., 1. Organize pattern files. 2. Make tool bins under workroom table. 3. Go through scrap fabric & trims. 4. Purchase plastic bins for hardware, etc. One of these tasks could be done each week until the entire workroom is organized. After your workroom is organized, keep it that way by putting tools back in their place when a job/task is complete. Everything has a place and everything should be in its place. Most of us cannot take a whole week off to get organized. We can, however, take 1 – 2 hours each week to work toward our goal.

Listed below are suggestions to get you started:

Make the list at the beginning of the day.
Prioritize your list.
Do a dreaded task first – get a sense of accomplishment.
Cross off completed tasks.
Combine tasks together whenever possible.
Leave time on your list for the unexpected.
Example of a “Daily Priority Task List” (Use abbreviations when listing tasks. A few of my common abbreviations are sel = select, fab = fabric, ord = order, rec = receive/record/reconcile, cal = calendar, mea = measure, ins = install, br = bring, win = window)
1. Sel tassel trim – Robinson
2. Order fab – Jones, MB
3. Proposal – Deason
4. Make inv for Design Consultation Fee – Travis
5. Ord toner for printer
6. Rec last week’s mileage on monthly cal
7. Rec check book

Think of ways to complete tasks more efficiently. Purchase products that help you spend less time on tasks in the workroom or office. To cut down on the steps you take, wear a tool belt in the workroom filled with frequently-used items and tools.

My favorite saying is “Do same thing the same way every time.” This philosophy can be applied in many aspects of your life. Remember, best-laid plans do not always work out the way we expect. Flexibility is a must! Making a “Daily Priority Task List” will make your life easier, not more stressful. So Take Five to Survive!

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Conquering the Paperwork Trail
By Debbie Green

Several different types of files are needed to keep paperwork organized. Using a computer makes your filing and other daily business tasks easier. Accounting software is especially useful for keeping things organized and maintaining accurate records for taxes. In our office, we use QuickBooks for Accounting, Word or WordPerfect for letter writing, Corel Draw for sketches, and Outlook 2000 for maintaining a database with directions to clients’ homes, phone numbers, journal entries and appointments. We also daily print a calendar using Outlook. (Don’t confuse Outlook with Outlook Express.) Nevertheless, even if you don’t have a computer, this basic filing system can work for you.

The five file categories we use include Business Files, Client Files, Pending Unpaid Bill Files, Pending Purchase Order Files, and Client Proposal Files.

Business Files: This system contains records of all expenses pertaining to the business, employee records, equipment manuals, warranties, etc. Each vendor used on a regular basis has its own file. Vendors that are occasionally used can be grouped together under categories such as “miscellaneous fabric,” “miscellaneous rods,” “miscellaneous hardware,” or simply “miscellaneous.” Some business expenses such as IRS reports, sales tax reports, insurance, equipment, office supplies, repairs, utilities, printing advertising, etc., are filed under their own heading. The business files also contain vendor invoices with a copy of a check stub stapled to the invoice.
Client Files: This system contains all client job files. At the time of a proposal becomes a job, a label is printed with the client’s name, address, and phone number. The label is then attached to a file folder. Each client file may contain several jobs. Wall pockets are mounted on the wall for storing active client files. Completed files are placed in a filing cabinet. After a job is complete, paperwork is organized and stapled together in the following order: invoice, signed proposal, directions to client’s home, measuring sheets, digital pictures of windows, any design sketches, yellow purchase orders with packing slips for items ordered, and detailed workorder forms for each item fabricated. Any other paperwork pertaining to future jobs for the client should not be stapled with the group. Jobs still in the proposal state should be paper-clipped together in the front of the file. Using a paper clip eliminates removing staples and rearranging paperwork. A job is stapled only when it is totally complete.
Pending Unpaid Bill File: This is a small file with a tab for each letter of the alphabet. Each new bill is entered into the computer and is stamped with a “posted” stamp. It is then filed by vendor name in front of the appropriate letter of the alphabet. Weekly, in the QuickBooks program, we access a list of bills that are due. Checks are printed by the software program. Selected bills are pulled from the Pending Unpaid Bill file. Vendor invoices and checks are matched to be sure that the amount of the check and the invoice amount due are the same. A check stub is then stapled to the vendor invoice. The invoice with attached check stub is filed in the Business Files.
Pending Purchase Order File: This is also a small file. We maintain one file for all purchase orders, filing them in numerical order. All purchase orders are printed on yellow paper to signify wholesale pricing. As an item is ordered for a client, we issue a purchase order in QuickBooks. When placing an order, we always obtain the reference number, expected ship date, and cost. A purchase order should be reprinted if any changes are made. When an item is received, the purchase order is pulled. The information on the packing slip is verified against the purchase order. The packing slip is then stapled to the back of the purchase order and filed in the client file.
Client Proposal File: An alphabet accordion file is used for clients with proposals only. Separate files are not necessary for these clients. If you charge a design consultation fee, a separate file labeled “Cash Receipts” can be filed in the Client File. If they become a client, pull the cash receipt and place it in their file.

Minutes really do matter, so stop shuffling through paperwork, and get organized!