Close out is an end of day cleaning biz term that means you close out your accounts for the day and get paid for today.
Ask a House Cleaner if a close out includes inventory of cleaning supplies. And do you have a clean uniform for tomorrow?
Angela Brown, The House Cleaning Guru says closing out your day covers everything. Close out today. Empty your vacuum. Check your equipment. Make sure your car has gas for tomorrow’s cleaning. Make sure you have properly inflated tires.
If you have business organization, you can keep your cleaning operation running smoothly.
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Listen: Close Out – End of Day Cleaning Biz To Do’s
Watch: Close Out – End of Day Cleaning Biz To Do’s
Hey there, I’m Angela Brown, and this is Ask a House Cleaner. This is a show where you get to ask a house cleaning question, and I get to help you find an answer.
Question: Close Out – End of Day Cleaning Biz To Do’s
Now today’s question comes from a house cleaner who says “Angela, I often hear you talking about ‘closing out your day.’ What exactly does that mean?”
Answer: Close Out For The Day Means Ending Today’s Business
Alright, so what it means ‘closing out your day’ is, that means you’re done for the day cleaning houses. And you get back to your house or you get back to your office and you close out your accounts for the day.
What that means is you go over your paperwork for the day. You did three houses for today did you get paid for all three houses?
If you did not get paid for all three houses, do you need to run the PayPal account of somebody who is paying you for today?
Do you have someone’s credit card on file that you need to run for the day?
You Need To Get Paid For Today’s Work
If you wait a week and then charge your customers credit card it’s going to show up as a weird random charge. And they’re going to look at the charge and say, “Well, my house cleaner didn’t come today. So why are they charging me?” And they might think it’s mistake and that they paid you last week when you came.
So, you want to do it on the same day so that you can close out your accounts properly.
Your Close Out Includes Product Inventory
Part of your daily close out is an inventory of your cleaning caddy.
Are you running low on some items? Are some of your bottles of solutions half empty? If yes, it’s time to top them off. Because you want full supplies when you show up for work tomorrow.
Now after you do an inventory of your supplies you also want to check your equipment.
Your Close Out Includes An Equipment Check
Look at your vacuum cleaner. Do you need to wipe the dust off your vacuum cleaner canister and wheels?
When vacuums heat up they’re like magnets and they draw dust. Or if you’re rolling them around on people’s dirty carpets there’s going to be dust. You may collect hair, or dog hair or pet hair or, something that’s on the outside of the vacuum cleaner or on the wheels.
And you don’t want a wheel that into the next customer’s house. So, you want to wipe down the exterior of your vacuum cleaner. And then also you want to make sure that your vacuum canister or bag is empty. Be sure your vacuum is clean and ready for the next customer.
Check Your Vacuum Bristles for Hair and String 
A clogged vacuum brush won’t pick up anything. So during your daily close out, you may need to get a pair of scissors or a seam ripper. Cut the hair, strings and dental floss from the vacuum bristles.
This is also a good time to sanitize your mop head. So that it’s clean for tomorrow’s use.
Your Daily Close Out Includes Your Car
Having a working vehicle is paramount to you being at your job on time. That means you need to have gas in your car and that the tires have the proper amount of air.
You don’t want to get up tomorrow and be in a hurry racing off to a customer’s house when your tires are low of air pressure. Or find out that you’ve run out of gas and you forgot to fill up.
So these are little things that you check every single day.
Just like we have a worksheet that we check off at a customer’s house, we also have a worksheet of close out items for the day.
Your checklist will alert you to things that need attention so you can do tomorrow’s job properly.
Your Close Out Includes Your Uniform 
How did your uniform do today? Any rips, stains, tears? Do any of the items need replacing? Do you have a clean uniform to wear tomorrow?
One of the biggest time-wasters is house cleaning companies who don’t wear uniforms.
And so every day they get up and waste time trying to find clothes that would be appropriate to wear for the day.
Don’t do that. Just make it simple on yourself and have the same uniform. And then the big question is: is your uniform clean?
If not, you may need to do a load of laundry. But it’s better to find that out now, rather than tomorrow morning as you’re getting dressed for the day.
Your Close Out Procedures Promote Success
You have a better chance of success when you are prepared.
House cleaners who don’t close out their businesses at the end of each day have lots of problems. They are late for work because they can’t find anything to wear to work. Their cars break down. They have flat tires or they run out of gas.
Once at the customer’s house, they find they are short on supplies. And they are missing their toilet brush altogether. They have to leave in the middle of a job and run to the store to buy a new mop because they forgot theirs at home. And these mistakes cut into company profits.
Have a Close Out Checklist and Follow It
Just like we have worksheets we use when cleaning – have a checklist you follow for your close out. List inventory items you need to buy.
Make notes of customer requests. Follow up with customers and sales calls from earlier today.
Without a Close Out Process – You’ll Chase Money
I cannot tell you how many house cleaners have no routine.
They leave a customer’s house and go home and they leave all their cleaning supplies in the back of their car.
And they never have any idea how much of their cleaning supplies they have. And they’re always running out. They’re forever running from the customer’s house back to their car to see if there’s a spare version of something.
Because they may have spare supplies in their car but they have no idea what or how much. And it’s a tough to run a business.
Those same house cleaners have a hard time collecting from their clients. Because they did not close out their accounts at the end of the day.
If You Have to Chase Money – Do It at Close Out
And when you call a customer up on the phone and say “Listen, I’m closing out my accounts for today. I don’t have your credit card on file.
Can I get that from you right now?”
It just becomes a matter of fact. It’s not you chasing the customer around. “Are they going to pay me? It’s been five days. When do I get the money?”
If you run a business then you need to have some kind of a close out process for the day. It’s logical, and it’s common sense. It’s how you run a business.
And if a customer forgot to pay you a phone call that afternoon lets them know, “Hey I’m a real business. I did a service for you today. I need money for today.” It’s just a matter of fact transaction there’s no emotion involved.
And so, for you to go 3 days, 5 days, a week, two weeks with no money. That’s just weird and it’s unprofessional.
Close Out – It’s A Good Idea
So there needs to be some kind of a process at the end of every day where you close out your day that’s how you run a business.
Alright, so I hope that answers your question.
And until we meet again, leave the world a cleaner place than when you found it.
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How to Start, Run and Grow a Successful Residential & Commercial Cleaning Business – http://amzn.to/2fPH8oR
Clean and Grow Rich: How To Start and Operate Your Own Profitable Cleaning Business – http://amzn.to/2w6xwNh
How to Start Your Own House Cleaning Company: Go from start-up to payday in one week – http://amzn.to/2wUYxR9
Habits: Tips and Tricks to Develop Positive and Good Habits permanently for a Successful Life – http://amzn.to/2uMEvLw
Bill Gates: The Life, Lessons & Rules For Success – http://amzn.to/2fOtsuA
Fear, Fail, And Forge Ahead: Learn To Act Against Your Fears, Become Daring, And Stand Firm When Life Gets Hard – http://amzn.to/2vN82Sr
The 21 Day Miracle: How To Change Anything in 3 Short Weeks – http://amzn.to/2w6DVYB
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