Once a month I print off a monthly profit chart from zero upwards in £100 segments.
The first day of the month that I work I draw a line at where I finished, so lets say I did £200 - well then I draw a line at £200 with a line to the side with the day and date and I write in (eg) Friday 1st Dec £200.
The next day I work I add that amount to the previous (eg Monday 4th Dec £212) and I add it above the line on the rising scale and draw a line that will now read (say) End of 4th Dec £412.
I do this all the way to the end of the month and so at say 29th £185 - End of 29th £2890.
So the month figure is my gross turnover before expenses. This is a figure "earned" not collected or received through the bank.
On the back I have an expenses scale in and I add up any costs that I have spent cash on and I clip receipts as I go. (Only a few bob for "on the run subsistance food" or some gaffer tape from B@Q usually)
Monthly expenses - fuel, poles, spares, van costs etc are bought on a credit card. (Van lease is DD from the bank.)
My wife's costs (As bookkeeper - are set in line with making them tax effective) and worked out retrospectively at the end of the year.
Any canvassing done for me or a rare bit of subbing is either cash or cheque and gets recorded on the monthly expenses sheet.
So how do I know when a custy has paid? I have a landscape page for about 20 custies and lets say I cleaned one today and got paid - well then 23/12Y gets put by their name. If they were out then 23/12N is put by their name. When a cheque, or rarely a s/o or cash through my door with a payslip then that 23/12N is changed to 23/12Y.
