Open Association of Landscape Industries
Does everybody use a diary?
I always buy a diary in about November each year with all good intentions of using it the following year,Then it gets to February and it ends up gathering dust on the shelf in the van,
I tend to keep everything in my brain, when i get to a job i remember what i have done the previous week and what needs doing on this visit,
I jot the odd note on a little clipboard pad on the dash but most of the time everything is from memory, Am i alone in doing this? does everybody else use a diary? Maybe you use IPads and Smart phones to keep organized?
I can appreciate that Landscapers and Designers would need to use a diary because of the nature of the jobs, but in maintenance I am generally visiting the same sites week after week with the odd one off job here and there.
Tags: diary, organisation
Replies to This Discussion
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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Ian @ Red Barrow East Sussex on -
Use a filofax, just changing the diary pages each year saves hassle of having to transfer other stuff, like suppliers/customer contact details into a new diary.
Did try to use google calendar but gave up. Locked in with a touchscreen phone on contract, takes ages to record anything with, or without gloves on! Phonephobic, me.
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Permalink Reply by briggsandscrapem on -
Your not alone Andy. I'm a shocker when it comes to filling the diary in because i can't be mithered. Luckily my colleagues keep their share of the work organised. A lot of my time is taken up with repairs, purchasing stuff and troubleshooting so my diary is always the last thing on my mind.
Sometimes i write a list of the months jobs on a sheet of A4 then circle them off when done once (if fortnightly) and then shade the circles in when the second visit has been completed. Monthly jobs are just left circled as only done once and weeklys are easily remembered anyway. God knows why i choose this over the diary but thats how it is.
If something is critically important the next day iv'e been known to write it in biro on the back of my hand before going to bed.
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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by andy@ Doughty Garden Maintenance on -
Thank god i'm not the only one Briggs, started to feel like the odd one out lol :-)
briggsandscrapem said:Your not alone Andy. I'm a shocker when it comes to filling the diary in because i can't be mithered. Luckily my colleagues keep their share of the work organised. A lot of my time is taken up with repairs, purchasing stuff and troubleshooting so my diary is always the last thing on my mind.
Sometimes i write a list of the months jobs on a sheet of A4 then circle them off when done once (if fortnightly) and then shade the circles in when the second visit has been completed. Monthly jobs are just left circled as only done once and weeklys are easily remembered anyway. God knows why i choose this over the diary but thats how it is.
If something is critically important the next day iv'e been known to write it in biro on the back of my hand before going to bed.
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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Gardens4u.co.uk on -
no - i just guess what day it is ;)
back of hand is a favourite if i remember to look :-0
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Permalink Reply by Adrian Thorne on -
I'm with Andy in using Google Calender - very clear and free. Couldn't go back to paper now. Sync's with my phone automatically so reminders pop-up. Took a little while to train myself into the habit of putting in the reminders but so worthwhile, given that I was always continually forgetting "that tool I'd said I'd bring next week".
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Permalink Reply by Justin Hemming on -
Have you been in touch with your phone company?
gary newton said:went a brought one today
had a text come thro early sat asking if i was interested in quoting for quite a extensive landscaping job the people were working abroad and left his mothers number as long as the work could be done for the price he had job was mine
pressed the wrong button on my phone and lost the text
have now gone and brought a diary everything is going in that from now on
he had a £10-000 budget
a costly mistake
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Permalink Reply by Mark & Yasmin Roworth on -
I have a ipad2 but don't use the diary/calendar on there. Can't beat the good old paper diary :)
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Permalink Reply by Richard Boyd on -
Best thing about the diary is looking back year after year and seeing the trends, developments... You will not remember what happened but when you look back some aspects will slap you in the face and show you the money...
Avoid using a diary at the expense of your pocket and the future of your business! ;)
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Permalink Reply by Thermo on
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i have an a4 page a day diary. all the clients who call go in for appointments with all their details. WHen i view a job all the detaiols and measurements go in there. I carry it all the time. That way i can order up materials at the drop of a hat for an upcoming job when im out and about, and i can always contact anyone i need. I keep them all as well. Always amazes me how many old clients call up for repeat custom yeras down the line, but never leave their number. Also handy as i have measurements of their garden, so i can often quote for a new fence etc, without having to go back to see them.
Not sure what i would do if i lost one!
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Permalink Reply by Justin Hemming on
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I have an A5 week to view diary. I try to keep all names, addresses and quotes in it.
Justin
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Permalink Reply by Paul Rogers on -
A5 Filofax in ziped case. Nothing fancy or expensive, plain & black. Name & address pages so only need to write in once, day to a page diary with hours shown so plenty of room to scribble and plan, notepad for, well notes and room for business cards, cheques, cash etc. All customer details on mobile and home PC as well. My Filofax is my life, also contains dentist visits, birthdays, anniversaries, England games, beer with mates etc so I put a £100 Reward if Found note in it, just in case I leave it somewhere stupid, top of a Pay & Display machine once.
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Permalink Reply by Emma Palfree on -
I have an A5 week to veiw that is my bible and goes everywhere with me, would be lost without it. All my customers are booked in start & finish times, at the end of the job I put in how many hours I actually did and the cost if there were any materials ready for producing the invoice in a weeks time. I also tick them off once I have invoiced them and cross the tick when Ive been paid (though sometimes this can be on the same day), I know I'm not loosing any money then.
From this i can see travel times between jobs, slot in people quickly.
I currently use pen and have to keep tipexing for changes, but should use a pencil really.
Keep notes in there of phone numbers, postcodes etc, however to try to transfer these to my mobile asap as they are filed better and easier to find on a mobile.
Also, I have trouble with cutomers sometimes not believing I am fully booked for 8weeks (coz they want the work done now), so it is handy to be able to flick through pages and show them.
Diary is essential to me.
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