Baseball isn’t the only thing that takes the winter off. If you work in the construction field, you know that cold weather brings the “off-season”. The frozen ground, and the longer cement drying time… can cost extra bucks that you just do not have, and that your clients do not want to pay. However, there are ways to battle off-season, and they are easier than you may have initially thought of.
Go indoors. Focusing on your indoor operations can keep your business steady in the cooler months – and also during rainy, hotter times of the year as well. While these jobs are smaller in scope, they keep the cash flowing – and you can perhaps gain more clients due to the type of work.
Get traveling. Colder months are the best time to attend conferences and trade shows, as you do not have to worry about something going wrong on a major project. There are typically local, state, and national conferences for various construction areas, so there is more than likely something to fit your niche. In addition, you may learn cost-cutting ways to keep your business moving, and new innovations to help save you time and money. Who doesn’t love that?
Teach your niche. This is something that can work great in the right community. Holding workshops and seminars teaching others to do smaller projects can be successful. From tiling to hardwood floor, the options are almost endless for what you can hold a seminar on. This is also a great thing if you can partner up with a local insurance company to go over issues where storms, flooding, and hurricanes are prevalent in the area.
Simply ask. You can always ask for referrals. There is no shame in that. When business is slow, contact loyal clients to ask if they would be interested in a referral program. Offer them something in return for referrals. This can get you business – and it can also get you more referrals since the new clients will tell others about you.
Adapt. This can be hard, but you may want to diversify your work in the colder months. This means purchasing new equipment, hiring new staff, and overall being adaptable to changes that may come your way. This way you will become house builders in warmer months and interior remodelers in the colder months – and it will keep your cash flow steady.
Join a professional organization. Are you a member of your local Chamber of Commerce? If not, consider contacting them. This can bring you a lot of businesses to pair up with for promotions, and it can also get you, clients, since many use the CoC’s listings as their guide to who they want to hire. Also, look to LinkedIn to find new hires and new clients.
Get a Cash Advance. Here’s the deal: Your company may struggle in the winter, and that’s okay. You will make it. You can get a cash advance. But, do not look to a bank for a loan as these are hard to get and they end up being racked in interest fees. Instead, look for a merchant cash advance from your merchant account provider to hold you over until your business gets booming again. With a merchant cash advance, you only pay when you get paid, so if you go a week or two without processing a payment, you do not pay during that time. It’s simple, it’s fair – and even those of us with poor credit can be accepted since it depends solely on your business earnings.