How the day went

What does this tour show?

It shows the last look at the shop before the shutters come down. At half past six Nuwan opens the paint Home, set to Today, and reads four things in about two minutes: what was sold and the profit on it, which products sold most, how customers paid, and whether every mix made today has gone to its customer.

Paint shops have a problem most shops do not: some of the stock is made to order. A tinted tin cannot easily be sold to anyone else, so a batch left on the shelf is either a customer who has not collected or a mistake. The closing review catches both.

What does the Home show at closing?

The heading carries the day's sales and the number of mixes (11 in the sample), along with three quick chips: pigments that are low, the number of colour formulas saved, and the profit margin for the period. Below it, the sample shop's day splits like this:

Nearly a third of the day went on account. That is normal for a shop with builders as regular customers, and it is exactly why the owner keeps an eye on trade balances.

Step by step

1. Open Home and choose Today. The page opens on the paint shop overview. Check the period switch says Today, not This Week.
2. Read the heading. It gives the day's sales and how many mixes were made. Comparing those two numbers with yesterday's in your head is the quickest health check there is.
3. Glance at the chips. "3 pigments low" is a reminder for tomorrow morning's canister check. The margin chip (31% in the sample) tells you whether discounts and trade prices ate into profit today.
4. Read the Sales panel. Sales, sales count and profit for the period. If sales were high but profit was flat, look at what was discounted.
5. Check Best sellers. The products that sold most, in order. If a base tin you rely on is near the top every day, it is worth checking its stock before ordering.
6. Read How customers paid. Cash, card, on account and bank transfer. Use the cash and card figures when you count the drawer and settle the terminal.
7. Look at Today's mixes by stage. Batches are grouped as waiting or mixing, mixed, and sold. In the tour two batches are mixed and waiting for their customers.
8. Act on any waiting batch. Ring the customer, check the batch was not sold under a generic product, or label it clearly for collection tomorrow. Every mix is also kept in Mix history with its batch number, so nothing is lost.
9. Switch to This Week before leaving, now and then. A weekly view smooths out one slow day and shows real trends.

How should you read the payment split?

Each line is checked against a different place. Cash against the drawer, card against the terminal, bank transfer against the bank, and on account against your trade customers' statements. If you add on account to the cash you expect to count, you will always look short. The end-of-day cash up guide walks through counting the drawer properly, including the float.

What do the best sellers tell a paint shop?

More than a list of popular products. In a paint and hardware shop the top of the list is usually base tins, weather coat and putty, the things contractors buy by the case. If a deep base or an exterior white climbs up the list during a dry spell, building work is picking up and you will want more on the shelf before the weekend. If sundries like rollers and tape are missing from the list on a day with plenty of paint sales, staff may not be offering them at the counter. And if a slow product never appears at all over This Month, it is taking up shelf space and cash. Reading the list for a week or two gives a feel for the shop that no single day can.

Tips for the closing review

• Do it at the same time every day. Habits beat good intentions.
• Write down the day's total and mixes count somewhere simple if you like comparing days. Patterns show up within a fortnight.
• If two or more batches are waiting most evenings, ask customers to collect on the same day or take payment when ordering.
• Use the margin figure as a prompt, not a verdict. One large discounted trade sale can pull a day down.
• Share the best sellers with whoever orders stock. It is the simplest reorder hint you have.

Common mistakes

• Counting on account as cash. It inflates expected takings and makes an honest drawer look short.
• Ignoring mixed batches because "the customer will come". Some do not, and tinted paint is hard to resell.
• Reading Today when you meant This Week. Check the switch before drawing conclusions.
• Judging the day on sales alone. A busy day with heavy discounts can earn less than a quiet one.
• Leaving low pigments for the morning without a note. Whoever opens may not look.

What should you do next?

Count the drawer and settle the card terminal using the cash and card figures, and bank the takings. Tomorrow starts again with the canister check from the opening tour, and the "pigments low" chip you saw tonight tells you what to have ready. To understand the margin figure, read markup vs margin. If on account keeps growing faster than payments come in, the cash flow guide explains why that matters and what to do about it.

How EasyTaskr helps

EasyTaskr's paint Home shows the day's sales, sales count and profit for today, this week or this month, the best sellers, how customers paid, and every mix by stage. It points out what needs attention, such as low pigments and batches waiting to be collected, so the owner can close with nothing forgotten.