As long as you work alone, a diary in your head is enough. As soon as you have your first colleague, you need a system — otherwise scheduling turns into endless phone calls. Here are five principles that have proven themselves in businesses with two to twenty people.
1. One shared calendar
Not three different diaries and a WhatsApp group. One calendar where everyone sees their own jobs and the manager sees all of them. Every change shows up for everyone instantly.
2. Working hours and absences
Holidays, a doctor’s appointment, a shorter Friday — all entered in advance. Then you won’t schedule a job for someone who isn’t working that day.
3. Schedule resources, not just people
A van, a lift, a room, special tools. If there is only one van, two crews can’t take it at the same time. Resources in the calendar watch for conflicts for you.
4. Group jobs by location
- Bundle jobs in the same area into one day.
- Allow for travel — 30 minutes between jobs isn’t waste, it’s reality.
- Keep a daily buffer for an urgent call-out.
5. Everyone knows what tomorrow brings
The evening before a working day, everyone should have a list of jobs on their phone with the address, contact and notes. Nobody has to ask “where am I going today?” in the morning.
Tip: Connect the company calendar with your workers’ personal Google or Outlook calendars. The jobs then show up where they look anyway.
How to do it in Homeearly
A team calendar with working hours and resources, drag-and-drop rescheduling and sync to Google, Outlook and Apple calendars. Every worker sees only what they should. More on the Calendar, tasks and team page.