May 18, 2025 - Daily Recap

Pressure Was On from the Jump
I knew today was going to be intense — not just because of the stacked pickup schedule, but because tomorrow is my kid’s award ceremony. That meant everything had to run smoothly today if I wanted to wrap early on Monday. No wiggle room.

Rain, Panic, Pivot
Met my guy at the warehouse around 9 a.m., just as the sky opened up. The original plan for the day? Out the window. I started calling customers, rearranging stops, and building a new game plan on the fly. It felt chaotic, but we managed to pivot and find a solid rhythm.

Stop 1: Partial Pickup with Flexibility
We headed to the 80-guest graduation setup from Friday. It was still raining, so we just picked up the tables and chairs. The client was out of town and totally flexible — said we could grab the tent and blocks later. A small but meaningful win.

Stop 2: Dance Floor Pickup (With Tips!)
The checkered dance floor we installed Thursday was up next. It had been under a different company’s tent, so I wanted to knock it out and stay out of their way.

• Revenue: $1,269

• Total Job Cost: $317

• Profit: $952 (75.03%)

• ARA Calculator Profit: $872 (68.71%)

• Difference: -6.32%

• Margins were solid, even if ARA thinks otherwise. First time using this dance floor combo, and the pictures turned out great. Plus — tips for both install and takedown. Rare, and always appreciated.

Stop 3: 40-Guest Package Wrap-Up
Once the weather cleared, we went to the 40-guest package pickup. This was the job with all the extras — trash cans, fans, coolers, linens, lights.

• Revenue: $2,018

• Total Job Cost: $386

• Profit: $1,632 (80.89%)

• ARA Calculator Profit: $1,401 (69.42%)

• Difference: -11.47%

• Margins look strong, but ARA factors in travel time and all the on-site coordination. Setup and takedown both took about 90 minutes. Still, I'm happy with this one.

Stop 4: 20x15 Tent Takedown
This was another graduation setup, with cocktail tables included.

• Revenue: $887

• Total Job Cost: $359

• Profit: $528 (59.48%)

• ARA Calculator Profit: $483 (54.50%)

• Difference: -4.98%

• Margins were lower, and labor costs were higher since we had three people for the install. These "easier" jobs always come in lower on margins — kind of a recurring theme.

Stop 5: The Airbnb Pivot Pickup
Last job of the day: cocktail tables and barstools for a client who canceled the tent and moved the party inside.

• Revenue: $1,350

• Total Job Cost: $180

• Profit: $1,170 (86.69%)

• ARA Calculator Profit: $1,172 (86.84%)

• Difference: +0.15%

• This one was a phenomenal win in terms of both margin percentage and dollars. Easy in-and-out, on-site for about 15 minutes. The rush fee helped too.

Wrap-Up & One Missed Stop
Back at the warehouse, we unloaded everything… only to realize we forgot one pickup. Reached out to the client and they’re flexible, so I’ll handle that Monday. I feel like I’ve set myself up well to end early tomorrow and be there for my kid’s ceremony — which, if I’m being honest, matters more than any margin today.

Until next time
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