A checklist should make the right thing the easy thing. In most small businesses, though, it's a laminated sheet by the back door that was last read in 2023. It gets ticked at closing time, all in one go, by someone who's already got their coat on.
Airline pilots and surgeons use checklists, and their work is a lot more complicated than yours. They use them because even experts forget steps when they're tired or rushed. Your closing shift at 11 p.m. on a Saturday is a good example of both.
Here's how to write one people will use.
Start by watching
Don't write it at your desk. Walk through a real opening or closing with whoever does it best, and write down each step as they do it. You'll find things you didn't know about, and you'll also find that they've worked out a better order than you'd have guessed.
Keep it short
A list of 40 items doesn't get read. Keep it to what matters, usually 10 to 15 items per checklist. For each item, ask:
- If this gets skipped, does anything bad happen?
- Would someone competent forget it?
If the answer to both is no, leave it out. "Turn on the lights" isn't going to be forgotten. "Check that the walk-in door sealed" is.
Write each item as an action
| Vague | Clear |
|---|---|
| Register | Count the drawer and enter the total |
| Back door | Lock the back door and check it's latched |
| Fridge | Write down the walk-in temperature |
| Clean up | Wipe down the prep tables and sanitize |
If someone new can't tell what "done" means, rewrite it.
Put it in the order they'll do it
Follow the path someone walks through the building. If it makes them zigzag, they'll stop using the list and do it from memory. Group by area, such as front of house, kitchen, office and last things out the door.
Put the really important steps last, and put them in bold. The final items should be what could cost you most: alarm, doors, lights, cash.
Sample: closing a small shop
- Greet the last customers and lock the front door at closing time.
- Count the drawer, and enter the total.
- Put cash in the safe, and close it.
- Straighten the front displays.
- Take out the trash and recycling.
- Sweep and mop the floor.
- Restock the bags and receipt paper.
- Check that the bathroom's clean and stocked.
- Write a handover note for the morning: anything broken, low or odd.
- Turn off the lights and the equipment.
- Check the back door is locked.
- Set the alarm and lock the front door.
Sample: opening a small kitchen
- Turn off the alarm, and walk through for anything unusual.
- Read the handover note from last night.
- Write down the walk-in and freezer temperatures. Tell a manager if they're out of range.
- Check today's deliveries against the order.
- Turn on the equipment, in order.
- Sanitize prep surfaces.
- Check dates, and rotate stock.
- Set up the line.
- Check who's on today, and if anyone's missing.
- Do a quick look at the front before unlocking.
You can download both as a template and change them for your place.
How to stop people ticking everything at once
Mostly this is about whether you look at them.
Check them, visibly. If nobody ever reads the checklist, your team will notice within a week. Look at one each morning, and say something specific. "Saw your note about the leaking tap, thanks."
Ask for proof in one or two places. A photo of the locked safe or of the clean line. Don't ask for it on every item. A dozen photos a night feels like distrust, and it slows people down.
Time-stamp it. A phone records when each one was submitted. A closing checklist sent at 9:45 for a 10:00 close tells you something.
Spot-check. Walk in after a close sometimes. Praise what's right before mentioning what's wrong.
Fix the list when it's wrong. If people keep skipping an item, ask why. Perhaps it doesn't matter, or perhaps it can't be done in the time you've given them. People respect a list that's been updated.
Make the time real
If closing takes 45 minutes, and you've scheduled 15, people will skip steps or work off the clock. Both are bad, and the second is illegal. Time the list once with someone who does it well, and schedule for that.
Going digital
Paper can work, but a phone gives you some real extras:
- You can see it from anywhere, without going in.
- It records who filled it in and when.
- Photos go with the item.
- Numbers such as temperatures and drawer counts are saved, so you can look back.
- Nothing's lost, and nothing gets coffee spilled on it.
In PinkLinq, you can start from a template and adjust it. Add a photo, a number, a signature or a rating to any item. Your team fills it in on a phone, and each submission's stored with a name and a time. You can export to a spreadsheet when an inspector or your insurance company asks.