1. Be On Time
It shows you are responsible and really want the job. If you know you will be late or unable to keep an appointment, call your customer immediately. Apologize. Let them know your new arrival time or ask to reschedule.

2. Arrive Prepared
Find out as much as you can about each job in advance. Think about how you will get there, how long the job will take, what you need to wear, what tools or equipment you will need, and if you have other commitments to schedule around.

3. Stay on Task
Stay focused on the job. Finish what you start. If you do not finish, schedule a time to finish. Put away tools and clean up after yourself before you leave a job site.

4. Be Courteous
Smile. Keep eye contact. Shake hands. Be polite. Respect your customers. Never promise more than you can deliver

5. Do Quality Work
Customers expect quality work. Make every effort to do your best! Your performance becomes your reputation (and ours)!

6. Charge a Fair Price
Estimate how long a job will take and what is involved. Name a price for the whole job or propose an hourly rate. Do not be afraid to negotiate!

KEEP IMPROVING! Be sure to give your customers a feedback card to complete and return to you. This will add shine to your reputation. If you like, send it along to your Squad coordinator (if you have one) and they can help you improve your services. You can download feedback cards to print here.

GET MORE JOBS! Give Squad business cards to your customers so they can hire you again or refer you to their friends and neighbors. Always have some cards on you; you never know when you might meet a potential customer! You can download business cards to print here.

KEEP GOOD RECORDS Use a notebook to record your income and expenses and information about your customers. Here is an example

BANK YOUR BANK!
Open a savings or checking account just for your odd jobs business. Accounts are free to youth under 18. Some banks and credit unions will even give you cash to deposit when you open a new account. To open one, you need your social security number, an ID, a parental signature, and some cash to deposit.

BE SAFE!
You break a customer window. A customer is unhappy with your work. If you are at fault, take responsibility and apologize. Work out the problem together with a parent if necessary. If you get hurt or treated poorly by a customer, get a parent involved before doing anything! Also, be sure to give a parent or other adult the full details about your jobs before you begin, such as the name, phone number, and address of your customers, and your job start and finish times.