The Fit-out Job Handbook

Sound familiar?

• Every job is run differently, so nothing carries over to the next one.
• Doesn't know what the last job earned, because all jobs share one account.
• Quotes on feel, so two similar jobs come out at two different prices.
• Collecting the final payment is always hard because handover has no agreed list.

Each chapter answers one question

1. Chapter 1: Will the number I just blurted bind the whole job?

   What is the number I just told the client based on?

   A number spoken on site follows you through the whole job. It must come from a sheet, not from memory.

2. Chapter 2: Doing extra to please, or digging my own hole?

   When the client asks for extra work, what happens before anyone picks up a tool?

   A boundary in writing protects both sides. A boundary spoken aloud protects only the one paying.

3. Chapter 3: The crew packed up, but is the job done?

   Why are nearly finished jobs where money gets stuck longest?

   A job is finished when it is signed off, not when the crew packs up. The workshop's cash flow lives in that signature.

4. Chapter 4: Busy crew all week, but did the job move?

   Is a crew day going into the job, or into waiting?

   Labour days are the one thing a workshop cannot buy more of in a week. A day the crew stands waiting is still paid while the job does not move.

5. Chapter 5: Money in the account, but which job made it?

   How much did the job that just closed really earn, and how do I know that number?

   When money flows through one shared account, profit is just a feeling. Each job needs its own ledger, even if it is a single page.