It Doesn’t Have to be That Way

It’s never too early to start thinking about winter work. And if you aren’t happy with how this past winter went, start planning now while the pain is still fresh.

There are 2 approaches to take to the seasonality of our industry. You can accept it and go with the flow. Or, you say “it doesn’t have to be that way” and act accordingly. You can be reactive, or you can be proactive.

There are many things that can be done to overcome the winter doldrums, but they all come down to marketing. Marketing makes the phone ring, and the phone must ring before we can sell jobs. The time to market isn’t in the middle of winter. The time to market is before winter. Squirrels don’t wait until the winter to hide their acorns. You shouldn’t either.

Squirrels prepare for the winter long before the winter. In this regard, squirrels seem to have a better grasp on reality than some painting contractors. This may come as a shock to some, but later this year winter will arrive. I checked my calendar. In fact, winter will come every year for the remainder of your career.

So you can begin preparing, or you can act surprised when the inevitable occurs. But if next spring you are lamenting another slow winter, just remember that it doesn’t have to be that way.

© BEP Enterprises Incorporated 2008