May - Mid-Month Check-In

The Money Check
I finally got a chance to reconcile all my accounts today. Pulled up the dashboard, held my breath, and took a peek — with one eye covered, of course.

And wouldn’t you know it…
We’re so close to hitting our ~$30K sales goal for the month. And — drumroll — we’re actually showing a profit right now.

That said, I’ve still got a few things I need to purchase — promises made for upcoming events, inventory gaps to fill. Does it EVER end? So, no, we’re not popping champagne just yet. Profit feels good, but in this business, comfort is always temporary.

The Margin Reality
The deeper I get into job costing, the clearer the patterns:

• Rush fees help margins, but they’re also turning some clients away. I may need to rebrand them or bake them in more gracefully — is there a friendlier way to set boundaries without sounding like a surcharge machine?

• Proximity matters — delivery for smaller jobs can have wildly different margins depending on distance. Once the mileage stacks up, those margins tank.

• Bigger jobs are carrying the month in dollar value, even when they don’t look as pretty in percentage terms. That’s not a surprise — but seeing the numbers validated in real time is helpful.

The Operational Load
I’m still making too many in-the-moment adjustments — chasing down linens, forgetting tools, having to double back. These things add up. I’ve got to tighten the backend and stop letting urgency drive my day.

The Energy Check
It’s been a grind, no question. These long days are hitting harder, and I felt it this week. But I also made it to my kid’s moving-up ceremony and managed to step back long enough to reflect — and log it all here.

I’m tired. But I’m still here. And we’re still in this.

Until next time
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