There is an app or software to automate almost any of your day to day business and administration tasks. Managing this type of task is crucial for small businesses, and as you begin to grow it can quickly become overwhelming and eat into time that should be spent cleaning windows, after all - this is where the money is.
There are many software's that can allow you to save time, and these work by taking time-consuming manual tasks and reducing them to the click of a button. This can include sending appointment reminders and other communication, taking payments (For more on this, check out the article Taking Cashless Payments), organising your work schedule, and managing your accounts, to name a few.
If you have staff, you can even use software to compare workloads between employees, manage employee routes & overdue work, and quickly assign new jobs to employees with real-time notifications.
Whilst there are a million apps out there that can benefit small businesses. There are two types of software that we see most commonly in Window Cleaning businesses, these are; work scheduling software & Accounting software.
Work scheduling software allows you to manage the day to day operations of your business from a phone, tablet, or laptop. Its where you keep all your customer details, day-to-day schedule, and you can often use the app to communicate with customers that you're due to arrive or that you've completed the clean, all at the click of a button. Each software will have its own set of exclusive features such as a route planner or customised quoting set up - be sure to check out a few to see which best suits your business (we've linked some popular options below)
Many businesses find that this type of software becomes necessary as a business grows. Eventually, as employees are taken on, the business can no longer rely on the experience and knowledge of its owner, and robust systems are needed to ensure everything is completed on time, and nothing is missed. It is important to have systems in place to allow a business to grow without the associated pains of growing.
The second type of popular software with Window Cleaning businesses is account management software. Accounts software gives you complete control over your finances, with profit and loss sheets & cashflow forecasts available at any time. The app dashboards allow you to see how much you are owed, and importantly for many small businesses - they allow you to keep on top of your taxes.
The dashboard for popular accounts management software Quickbooks
There are many ways to use technology to modernise your Window Cleaning business, some of the headaches of Window Cleaners in the past needn't be a problem today, but finding the solution can take time & effort.
Head to our Starting a Window Cleaning Business Hub for more helpful guidesHelpful Links
Quickbooks or Xero- Accounting software allows you to track sales, expenses, and manage invoices all in one simple package - making your tax returns simpler than ever.
Squeegee or CleanerPlanner - Run your entire Window Cleaning business, communicate with customers, track payments and plan your day all from one app.
GoCardless - This payment processing software allows you to manage direct debits.
