Closing the day is the moment a shop finds out whether the numbers are right. Done every evening, it takes a few minutes. Skipped for a week, it becomes an afternoon of guessing. Here is the routine we see working best.
1. Stop selling on that till
Pick a fixed time and stick to it. Any sale after the close belongs to tomorrow. In Diwaan, closing a till stops new sales on it until it is opened again, so nothing slips between days.
2. Record what left the drawer
Before counting, record every payment made from the drawer: fuel for the van, a delivery boy, a supplier paid in cash. Each one becomes a paid out with a reason. If it is not recorded, the count will look short when it is not.
3. Count the cash, by note
Count notes and coins separately, and enter the count for each one. Counting by note is slower than counting the total, but when there is a difference you can see whether it is one missing note or many small errors.
4. Compare with what should be there
Expected cash is simple: opening cash, plus cash sales, minus refunds in cash, minus paid outs. Diwaan works this out for you as you sell. Enter the counted amount and you see the difference at once.
- No difference: close the day. It posts to the books and the drawer is ready for tomorrow.
- A small difference: check the paid outs and the last few sales first. Most differences are a paid out that was not recorded.
- A large difference: recount before you close. Then close with a note, so the owner sees it in the morning.
5. Read three numbers
Before you leave, read three figures: today's sales, cash in the drawer, and money owed to you that is due tomorrow. That is enough to know where the business stands.
Do this every evening for two weeks and it stops feeling like a task. It becomes how the day ends.