How a Cleaning Schedule Saved My Sanity

Picture this: You've opened your new brick & mortar studio and had your first week of lessons. You straighten up your lesson room then head to the office to shut things down for the weekend.

On your way you glance at the waiting room...the floor is filthy.

You poke your head into another lesson room...there's dust everywhere.

You look in the bathroom...did they even try to aim, how are we out of paper towels already and why is the sink covered in bubbles?

You're exhausted and really want to go home, but if you leave it you'll still have to deal with it Monday morning.

So you spend the next 2+ hours scrubbing the entire place. Your husband calls to make sure you're okay and asks why you're not home yet. You burst into tears because you're completely spent and aren't even half-way finished cleaning.

Welcome to business ownership.

The realities of owning a business with a brick and mortar location can be overwhelming at times. We need the most help with "menial" tasks at the beginning, while we're still getting our bearings in the business world. The problem is that's the time we need help the most is the time when we typically can't afford to hire said help.

This is where I was a couple of years ago. I did (still do, but not for long) EVERYTHING for the business side of my studio and I was on the verge of burning out.

I hired teachers to help me teach new students, but couldn't afford to have someone come clean, or take phone calls while I taught, or run my social media accounts, or handle advertising. It was all on me. And I was at the end of my rope.

That's when I discovered how important it is to have solid systems. I carved some time out of my day off and did some research. Once I got past the "a business owner should never clean the toilet" advice, I found that the most successful system for me would be a cleaning schedule.

A cleaning schedule? Like a chores chart? Really?!

Yes, really. And yes, it really helps.

I tried a few "premade" schedules, but found them either lacking or overwhelming, so I created my own schedule.

I divide each day's tasks into two categories, before teaching and after teaching. I should note, this is a mental division of tasks. They're all just written out on the schedule. When I come in, I get my self unpacked and start the firsts thing on the cleaning schedule. When I'm done teaching, I finish the list and we're ready to start again the next day.

I'm still tweaking the schedule to suit my needs, but I have to say, the academy stays clean and I get to keep my sanity.

Want to get your hands on an editable version of my cleaning schedule? Click here to download your own free editable copy.