Route Management

[Yard Elements]

Hoe does everyone keep track of/manage routes. i have sheets but sometimes get messed up when i stop for a quick bid or have One Time projects to do. How does everyone else tackle this issue. We bill monthly for all accounts, it's easier for everyone this way, and cash flow has not been an issue, plus all our commercial accounts are monthly only.

[mark123]

Lawn care business tips

You may find this strange but I use Gopher Software.

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Boughter's Lawn Care Services Mowing and Fertilizing in New Castle, PA

[SpokaneSRC]

Microsoft Street & Trips. Save as many routes as you want (Monday, Tuesday etc.) and optimizes them for you. 60 day free trial.

[Ducke]

I have a giant white board in my office and I lay out my week on it and print off the jobs I need each day. I even colour code it Green for mow Blue for landscape work and Red for rush job/ Must do ASAP and Black for hedge jobs.
Its dry erasable so I can change things around as needed due to weather or new customer etc.
Its simple and it works for me because I am simple too

[wandfsmall]

If your looking at how to setup your stops to make them efficient maybe this will help.

http://findthebestroute.com/RouteFinder.html

[mark123]

Does anyone else use Gopher?

[Growing Green]

I use Microsoft Outlook. Works great! Plus I upload it on my iPhone everyday so I have it on there as well.

Matt

[CHEESE2009]

Break down your city into perimeters, so that each day of the week you focus all of your attention one one section.

1. Get a binder with labels.
2. Label the label tabs Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

2. Create a sheet which lists all of your customers within their sectors, (print 5 sheets, 7 if you work weekends). These sheets will act as a directory (a chapter guide like in a book).

This sheet below is your directory for one day out of your week (newer companies can use this single sheet for all of their clients, and use the color coding - over time it will become useless and you will be using this new method to keep organized);


Write out your clients in order, because you will be using this sheet (shown below) in order to flip through and locate your client info sheet(s);




Your client sheet can be scanned every month and used as a receipt for your clients. Just make sure to block off any spaces which can be filled in with false info.

[jymie]

Originally Posted by mark123

Does anyone else use Gopher?

I use the gopher software. I love it. As I get customers, I will use a mapping program to map it, then in gopher I put the stop in theorder I would do it. Prinys out on my run list in the order I do the jobs that day. Also great to keep the billing straight.

[mark123]

Originally Posted by jymie

I use the gopher software. I love it. ...

Whew. I thought I was the only person on GOPHERforum using GOPHER.

I don't really need a mapping app to figure the route. I'll just stick it on the day I'm in the area and then tweak the order after the first visit.