Warm weather, long days, and blues skies are about to overtake the country. But if you’re one of the many businesses that sees a huge upswing in customers during the summer, it’s about to get pretty hectic. Before summer and your busy season are in full swing, find out the best ways to ensure it’s smooth sailing and the most successful season yet!
1. Prep your employees
Employees are typically the heart and soul of a small business. It’s important to make sure they are prepared and set up for a success. To start getting your staff in the busy-season mindset, sit down for an informal meeting. Ask your staff what their concerns are for the upcoming wave of business, and find out what would help them work more efficiently and with less stress. Not only will you find out how to help, but your staff will appreciate your thoughtfulness and know their suggestions are important to you.
In addition to prepping current employees, consider adding a new team member or two. Seasonal workers are a great way to get you through your chaotic months. Tons of college and high school students are looking for part-time jobs while school is out for summer. They can help out around the office, assist senior staff, and even bring some good ideas to the table. Business or marketing students should be well-equipped to do some basic social media marketing to help get the word out about your services.
2. Plan ahead
The last thing you want is to get half way through the season and realize you approved vacation time for a vital employee right in the thick of the busy season. It won’t be much fun or the liveliest of jobs, but sitting down to go through just about everything involving your business will prevent this kind of thing from happening. Review your budget, any upcoming jobs, and your employees’ schedules. And most importantly, plan for anything that could go wrong, whether it’s a surprise expense or an employee leaving. It will save you from a major headache later on.
3. Get any equipment or supplies you need now!
This could go with planning ahead, but it’s so important, it needs its own section. Go through your inventory and decide what needs to be replenished. Make a list and order everything as soon as you can. You don’t want a delayed shipment to stop you from bringing in profits.
It’s also a great time to evaluate your equipment. Check if any repairs are needed or any parts need to be replaced. You might want to consider upgrading or expanding your equipment. More machines or vehicles mean you can take on more jobs and bring in more profit. Look into some flexible equipment financing options that can help make acquiring new equipment more affordable. Whether a plan with no down payment works best or you need something completely customized, a specialized equipment financing company can help you get all the equipment you need to take your busy season by storm!
4. Scope out your competition
It’s always best to stay ahead of your competition, but it’s especially crucial during the summer craziness. Do a little digging online and find out if anyone is offering huge sales you need to compete with or if your rival has launched a new marketing campaign. But remember to take it all with a grain of salt. You can’t possibly keep up with all of it. Your best bet is to stick to looking at your closest competitors and seeing what they are up to. Consider adjusting your business strategy to give your business the best chance of keeping up!
5. Evaluate last year
Before you do anything else to get ready for the summer busy season, think back to last year. What went right? What needs improvement? Answering these questions will give your whole preparation time much needed guidance. Go over last year’s earnings, marketing, and customer feedback and decide what you can feasibly work on. Maybe you can’t revolutionize your marketing effort or drastically reduce your expenses, but you can certainly find ways to get the word out about your business and pinch a few pennies!