How To Make The Most Of Seasonal Work In A Small Business Set-Up
Seasons of change
Seasonal services are not a new concept. It’s no secret that the construction, renovation, and home maintenance industry can be affected by the changing seasons.
Most of your work takes place outside, so you will be at the whims of the weather.
As a business owner, you will know, very well, that an idle workforce is a massive money drain. Wages and salaries need paying, even when the work has stopped coming in.
One way to combat this is to adapt your business plan and strategy.
Why not swing your service offerings to become seasonal services, thereby making the most of the time you have?
In the north of the country, we have dry winters and wet summers. The summer rains can lead to delays in projects, at your own expense.
Therefore, maintain a steady stream of indoor seasonal services for the wettest months of the year.
Kitchen and bathroom renovations, ceiling, and electrical work as well as painting are all safe bets for rainy days. Minimise your exposure to large outdoor projects that require a lot of construction and structural work while being exposed to the elements.
During winter, the north is much drier and although the days are shorter, you will be spared the unnecessary delays that rainy weather brings. So, this is the time to break ground on new and extensive building projects.
The exact opposite of course is true for the South and coastal areas of South Africa. So, know your climate, and swing accordingly to keep your cash flow up.
Another important aspect of changing seasons is the fact that certain services are just not that necessary during certain seasons.
While your pool and garden service might be swamped with clients during summer, much of the routine work dissipates as the weather gets colder. To use this forced downtime well, try and incorporate certain adjacent services into your offerings.
Wintertime can be when you offer your customers services such as:
- Solar pool heating system installations, paving,
- Driveway and carport maintenance,
- Tree-felling and rubble removal,
- Roof repairs, and outdoor painting.
It might take a season or two for you to successfully train your staff and get everything in order to start offering these seasonal services, but if you do it well, it can make your usual downtime a boomtime!
