Summer Slowdown…Don’t Let it Be
It’s the summer time. The sun is out, the weather is warm, and as a service industry business owner times may be a little slow. The lazy days of summer are upon us and we have to do something about it!
You may think a summer slowdown is just part of your business cycle. People are on vacation. This is the season of easy living. Don’t let it be! There are plenty of strategies you can implement to make the summer a meaningful season for your business. Take this opportunity to get a jump on the competition while they are taking it easy!
Say No to Slow. The first thing you can do is refuse give in to the status quo. Don’t allow yourself or your employees to believe that the summer is always slow and there isn’t much to do. The summer slowdown will be all too common of an excuse if there are issues with productivity. And if business is a little slow, get organized! It is a perfect time to reorganize your paper files, computer files, and tidy up the office. An organized office is a well-functioning office. If you set clearly defined goals, have an action plan, set deadlines, and craft a no excuse, no pessimism environment you’ll be astonished by what you can attain.
Be Proactive. Decide what your customers need more of during this time of year and offer it to them. Flexible scheduling? An extra cleaning before or after their summer parties? A deep cleaning of the guest room before out-of-town guests arrive? Let them know you are willing to go above and beyond to meet their needs during their hectic and busy life.
If business is slow, you will most likely need even more profit from each sale to make up for the revenue missed during the “slow summertime”. So get creative and repurpose some of your products or services to provide an extra value to your customer. They are getting a little bit more and you are getting a little more of that much needed cash flow. It’s a win, win for both parties!
And if you really want to have a meaningful summer, add another skill set to your arsenal. If you are missing a business skill that you wish you had, take a class or learn new software. It will make your life easier and your business more profitable in the future.