If you are fortunate enough to have a card reading area separate from your living area which includes a separate entrance, then the cleanliness part of things will be quite easy for you. However, if you are just starting out in your home business and what you have available to you is the kitchen table or living room for your Wee Folk Toracles card readings, then keeping things clean could be a little more difficult. Let's face it... some of the cleaning jobs are quite thankless, needing to be done over and over and over again such as dishes.
I already covered "De-cluttering Your Home/Business Space", but the de-cluttering process is only a small part of creating your home business space. Chances are, most of your clients will be women, and women notice things that men don't, especially bathrooms, because in most cases women are the ones doing the majority of the cleaning in their own homes. This tends to bring forth the "scrutinizing eye" when visiting other places.
So, this article is about passing the "scrutinizing eye" test. Let's start with the space where you'll be doing your Wee Folk Toracles card reading with your client. If you are using your kitchen/dining table, obviously you won't be booking any appointments until meals are complete. You certainly don't want your client showing up to dirty dishes still sitting on the table. The point here is, make sure that you give yourself time to set up your reading space BEFORE your client arrives. This might mean adding a table cloth, some candles, some crystals, fresh flowers or whatever you want to make that table look warm and welcoming. The client knows that the space is where you and your family eat their meals, but there should be no indication of this when they arrive.
Consider any pets you might have as well. If you have a cat that likes to lie on the seats of your table chairs, make sure you wipe these off before your client arrives. The same goes for your living room couch or chairs if you'll be doing readings there.You have no idea what type of outfit your client will be wearing and it would be horrifying if they wore black slacks and left your home with their butts covered in cat or dog hair. It's a good idea to vacuum at least once a day anyway if you have pets because you never know if you'll have a client with allergies. You don't want them tearing up or having respiratory distress while you are doing their card readings.
Smell is another factor. Garbage and cat litter boxes have to be the worst smells to encounter in someone's home. I actually use old coffee containers (with lids) to put egg shells, raw food garbage such as orange peels, and anything else that might stink up the garbage before garbage day comes. On the morning of garbage pick up, I empty the coffee containers into a plastic bag, tie it up, put it in the outdoor garbage and wash the coffee container for its next collecting job. Our garbage, then, is mostly paper. Coffee grounds go down the drain and any cans, milk jugs, or cartons are rinsed thoroughly before going in the garbage. There is never a smell emanating from our garbage.
As for the cat litter box, make sure you keep it super clean or find some kind of miracle litter that never allows the smell to escape (good luck). If you keep the cat litter box in the bathroom, you might consider finding another room to put it in, even if it's tucked somewhat out of sight because, no matter what, there is always a smell of some sort.
This segues neatly into bathroom cleanliness. Since your clients will likely be using your bathroom, you should do a decent cleaning each day. I know... what a pain, right? Yes, but a clean versus dirty bathroom CAN make a difference on whether or not your client returns no matter how awesome your reading is. This means wiping down the toilet (including the base), wiping down the counters and the sink, and making sure the bathtub/shower looks clean if the inside of it can be easily seen. Do a quick vacuum or mop job too. Don't forget the corners where all dirt accumulates. Then, make sure there is toilet paper (and a spare roll easily reached), a container of soap for washing hands and a hand towel or paper towels for drying (and a garbage can that is not overflowing). A pleasant smelling candle or scentsy warmer might be nice too, but choose something mild like vanilla or apple pie that is not so overwhelming that it gives your client a headache.
If your kitchen can be seen, make sure that you don't have piles of dishes stacked up with dried food on them or pieces of food scattered about the floor. If you have a young child that requires a high chair, make sure that is clean too. Sweep up, do your dishes, wipe your counters and make it appear as clean as you can. Pet dishes, if they sit in your kitchen, should be clean too.
I know this sounds like a lot of work, but it really is worth the time because, in most cases, women really do respect cleanliness. It won't be long before you have a cleaning routine that works for you and you'll be thrilled that your house looks and smells awesome every day.
No comments:
Post a Comment