Colder temps might cool business, especially in northern sections of the U.S., but you can still take action to increase profits during winter downtime. Learn 5 ways to take advantage of winter downtime in your roofing or contracting business so you’re ready to take on spring like a lion:
Think of marketing strategy as the road map that helps you boost sales and build a competitive advantage. Already have a marketing strategy? If you can’t remember what it is or haven’t looked at it in more than a couple of months, dust it off for a review.
Get inspiration for your new or rebooted strategy by checking out Inc.’s 15 Marketing Strategies That Inspire Strategic Thinkers. Additional strategy-building tactics include:
Construction or roofing offseason is also a great time to define sales targets and tactics for your business. Sales plans can cover the overall business or they can include individual plans for each salesperson. Here are a few first steps for creating your sales plan:
The cold weather dip is a good time to inventory roofing and construction equipment to assess whether those investments are helping or hurting your business. Evaluate compressors, hydraulic dump trailers, etc., to determine if they need repair or replacement so your crew can get the job done without hassle when business picks back up.
Consider new equipment investments, too. For example, replace that standard dump trailer with the Equipter RB4000, a self-propelled trailer that lifts up to 12’ high. Use it to control debris, increase production by 25%, save wear-and-tear on your crew, and make homeowners happier.
Or how much more efficient would projects be if the crew used a small, self-propelled crane onsite for easily lifting HVAC units or pre-formed home features? Learn more by checking out our towable, drivable CR8400.
Whether it’s asking customers to give reviews or struggling to stay on top of weekly payroll, every business owner has that one task that feels like a long, hard slog. Now’s the time to find a solution to that pain. Here are some ideas:
Outsource tasks like payroll or accounting.
Automate regular to-dos like sending emails asking for customer reviews.
Hire a freelancer to tackle jobs like blog writing or social media posting.
Set up auto payments for your bills or pay small bills for several months in advance to save time in accounts payable.
When the weather breaks and the phone starts ringing, the last thing you want to do is get stuck dealing with filing taxes. Use downtime to print reports, find receipts, and fill out forms related to your construction or roofing business, so you can better focus on customers when jobs pick back up.
If you bought an RB4000 or other roofing equipment, talk with your accountant about the Section 179 tax break, which lets you deduct up to $1 million on qualifying equipment purchases.
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This blog entry was originally published in January 2016 and was updated January 2019.
