Scheduling yourself

Recently, I am finding it harder and harder to schedule myself efficiently. It seems that I am applying for more and more shops from 2-14 days out (sounds good , so far, right?) and filling my schedule appropriately, but never hearing (until the day of (last minute!)) from the MSC. The self-assign shops help, but I just can't predict which MSCs are going to come through for me anymore. This leads to a lot more travel cost per shop than I like to swallow, and a lot of empty hours on the road.. Anyone else having this problem?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/01/2016 08:57PM by winemaker.

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I get that issue periodically. I just keep my head down, and get through it. I watch certain hot shop zones, and can pretty much tell when the regular shops will be posted.

But in the last few weeks it's been easy. Last week I had a scheduler call me within minutes of signing up with a new-to-me MSC, to offer me a "what would it take" bonus to do four super easy shops in a nearby city. Score! Then I added two candle shops and two clothing retailers, in malls near the original shops, and got bonuses on two of them. It was a very productive day, because the stars aligned and all was right in the universe.

I think I have a PhD in scheduling. My daily schedules are planned out well, sometimes down to the minute. When there are one of "those" days, I either have a back-up plan already in place or I have the flexibility to rearrange my schedule which is exactly what happened this afternoon. Leftover highly bonused November shop fell in my lap so I flip-flopped my schedule. Upside is the extra money; downside is I will be working late into the night.

Wine, I use a calendar to track my current shops: >>Shop $$ MSC<<. When I apply for a shop, I put a placeholder on that date with a question mark in front of it: >>???Shop $$ MSC<<. That way, I know not to schedule something for that slot unless it's a phone shop or something in the area. If I get the work, I remove the question mark.

"I told myself to quit you; but I don't listen to drunks." -Chris Stapleton

It is important to track applications and due dates. If the due date is looming, and there has been no response to my app, I delete my application. I have made other plans.

I keep a hand written list of the shops that I applied for, the dates, the fees and the MSC. When I don't receive a confirmation from said MSC when the shop needed to be done by, I check my shop log since some MSC don't send out confirmations.

Also, it is not the MSC's responsibility to send out confirmations to you. You are responsible for yourself.

@winemaker

Based on what I have read here, the well established shoppers have essentially planned their routes months in advance.

From my point of view, applying for jobs just days or two weeks in advance is just filling in. It allows me, for example, to fit in jobs around my full time job work schedule.

I have never been successful in consistently building a route, around a weekday off, relying on applying for jobs just a few weeks out.

I believe what you really need to work on is how to build your business into a successful route shopper platform.

My posts are solely based on my opinions and for my entertainment, contact a professional if you need real advice.

When you get in debt you become a slave. - Andrew Jackson

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Scheduling yourself

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