Organization. You may have never thought of this as a money saver, but trust us...it is.
I live in an apartment in downtown Minneapolis…so you can bet it is pretty small. I have to keep my apartment organized, if not only to feed my growing OCD, but also as a safety precaution. If I just threw things wherever I wanted, whenever I wanted, I can guarantee going to get a drink of water in the middle of the night would be my potential walk of death.
Being organized has so many benefits:
- Time. You’d be amazed at how much time is wasted looking for lost items. According to a study conducted by a Boston Marketing firm, the average American burns 55 minutes a day looking for things they know they own but cannot find. That adds up to a total of almost 14 days a year people spend just trying to find lost things.
- Look good! Customers will be much more impressed by your techs appearance upon arrival if the truck is neat and tidy. It shows a more professional side to your business and allows you to be safer.
- And another thing. When I am not organized I lose things. I recently cleaned out my desk at home to find checks I had received 2 YEARS AGO! That was money just sitting there that I didn’t know I had. What if my checks were parts on your truck? Just lost beneath the mess? Organization can help you have better control over your inventory costs. You'd be surprised how much money you can find hiding in parts not used due to being missplaced or "lost."
We know it’s not always easy to completely organize a company. A suggestion would be to take one weekend to do all of the organizing. From here you can check on the trucks or office once a week to ensure things are neat and orderly. It’s not always the most fun part of a business, but it certainly can help you be more profitable.