Oh, hey, it’s everyone’s favorite topic, “the busy season” can you smell the money and sweat in the air? You know, I have never really understood how every year we have a slow season and a busy season, yet we are never ready for either. We always expect the busy season to last forever and expect the slow season to be shorter and shorter every year. We know that just about every year, no matter where you live, right around March, the good weather comes out, people start to breathe in the fresh air and start BOOKING cleaning services all at the same time. It’s kind of like it’s dead one day, and then the next day, everyone gets a letter in the mail and wants their house cleaned.
“What are some great ways to get prepared and get ready for the BOOM?”
Credit: Jeroen Huizenga
Well, I hope, first and foremost, you have your inventory in check. We go over this every year, but for some reason, everyone forgets that they need a new water-fed pole or their garden hose has a hole in it, or the boar hair brush is shaved down like a snow cone. Please get your tools before the rush (that Austin guy over at WCR is pretty cool; I heard he loves when people order through him). Also, I hope during this dead winter you got some organizing done. When you walk into the shop, you hope you can find what you’re looking for, and it doesn’t look like your company is having a garage sale.
Another thing would be I hope all the trucks are ready and in pristine condition. I kid you not, the first week of spring we had three flats on two trucks. Change those tires man; get those trucks wrapped in the winter when you have time. Now is the time for MONEY.
Do you have those repeat customers already on the books? Have your employee systems already in place? Are all your digital and print marketing ready for a blast?
A well-worded blast email, text, voicemail is such a great way to start the busy season. I’m sure you already know this, but people forget about you when you collect the check and walk out the door. So unless you gave them a BRIGHT invoice or a fridge magnet or something they can remember you by, it’s time to give them a call. Passive marketing is great, I love when customers CALL ME, but it’s the best feeling in the world when you’re so busy you literally can’t even keep up.
I hope you were hiring in the wintertime. Another great thing to do is have all those new hires on during the winter so they can practice practice practice on those slow days and not lose any time or money during the day. But NOW it’s time to get that busy season money, everyone knows in the winter with new guys you lose twice, BUT now it’s time to get everyone on a truck and get everyone making some dough.
Time to dig inside that piggy bank. We all know that there is almost no liquid in the bank during the winter. It’s slow. So we save up all we can during the winter to barely make it to spring, then BOOM. It is like the sky fell and the ceiling broke open. Now is the time right before the big hit to put all the money you set aside into a big digital marketing blast, text email ETC, Facebook marketing, yard signs, door hangers, clip flyers. That small amount of marketing is about to be a huge return. The big boom is right around the corner. I hope you are just as excited as I am to run around like a chicken with your head cut off. Whatever your goals are for the year, I hope you crush ‘em 10 fold.
-By Austin Grubbs