Monday Morning Routine

I am off on Sunday and Monday, and I am pretty protective of those days.

I try really hard not to take a Sunday wedding - I have to really love it, or maybe it is during our slow season and I feel like I need the cash flow. I need a real day off to keep my creative self happy. And I try to be screen free on Sundays - no social, no computers - TV only for the Saints (rules are made to be broken!). My life deserves my full attention, appreciating my husband, my parents and my children - even tho they are grown.

why do I have a Monday Morning Business Routine?

it makes my work week better

knowing my bills are paid and payroll is run and everything is up to date with my business means I can head into the week focused on operations and design.

it alleviates stress

having deadlines like payroll and sales tax floating out there worries me! Paying attention to these details every Monday means I am never behind and those thoughts can be tucked away.

I can focus without interruption

the minute I walk into the studio Tuesday morning it is go time. We are cleaning up from the weekend (don’t judge), getting ready for consultations, ordering flowers - running a business. It is hard for me to focus on payroll, bills and taxes with all that going on. And my studio is completely open, it doesn’t afford me any privacy for personal business.

it is really fast and efficient

because I review my finances every Monday, pay my bills every Monday, run payroll every Monday - it is fast and easy! The same way we know how much our favorite white rose (playa blanca) costs, we know what bills are out there, because we are paying attention. My Monday Morning Routine takes me ten to fifteen minutes tops.

here is what I do:

I walk the dogs - I make a cup of coffee and I grab my computer. I pull out my unpaid invoices - I keep all my unpaid invoices in one file folder at my home desk - more about how and why I organize that way here - and in it my current cheat sheet. I encourage you to download my cheat sheet and make it your own. You will be amazed by how quickly you have over your finances.

if it is the first Monday of the month, I am only concerned about paying two bills, myself (I get a draw) and my rent. Everything else waits until those have been paid. I pay me first!

keep in mind every bill that I can automate, has been automated - so I look at the handful of other bills that I have. The smilax guy, my hard goods wholesaler, my social media girl - etc. I go online and I check every bank account and credit card - getting the current balance, looking to see what is auto debiting this week, and checking when credit card payments are due. I pay the full balance on my credit cards most months so that I don’t incur any interest.

I pay small invoices for small business first - before I pay my big flower bills, my amex etc, because I like to take care of my small vendors and it is good for my professional reputation. If I need an extra bag of smilax, or forgot to order one, my smilax guy knows I am a great customer and a great payer, and that certainly helps in the asking for favors department. I pay my flower bills last - most months it takes me to the third week of the month to have the cash flow to make those large payments.

my worksheet has reminders on it for my business account for payroll and sales tax, so I don’t overlook them when factoring in the payments going out of my account each week.

the last Monday of the month - any excess cash in my personal or business checking accounts gets paid against my line of credit, or moved to savings.

that’s it!

it usually takes me ten or fifteen minutes - I have a lot of accounts. For those of you just getting started in business, cash flow may more of an issue than it is for me. Knowledge is power. Even if your bank account is low (or empty), even if you don’t have enough money for a personal draw,. even if you don’t have a penny left over at the end of the month, knowing where you are financially will help you to make better business decisions.

Monday Morning might not work for you - find your time.

fifteen minutes of quiet time to run your business like a Boss - totally worth it!

Download my cheat sheet - and make it your own!