Prepping for the Busy Season
For many contractors, work may pick up significantly during specific times of the year. A sudden influx of job leads could be due to weather conditions, client demand, and a variety of other factors.
Even during the slower months, it’s never a bad idea to start preparing for the extra workload and increase in sales ahead.
We’ve put together some tips to help get your business ready for the busy season!
Focus on Marketing
The slower months are the perfect time to engage your client base. This is a great chance to set up an advertising campaign or a new marketing strategy, ahead of peak time.
There are plenty of ways you can market to clients and homeowners as you prep for the busy season.
Marketing Emails
Email marketing campaigns are a great way to boost your business and find new leads. Creating eye catching emails with subject lines that stand out lead to more clicks.
HubSpot CRM offers email templates for all types of sales situations. Take a look at these great email templates from HubSpot:
HubSpot - Sales Email Templates
Using Clear Estimates Pro's Zapier integration, you can send your client info directly to HubSpot - or any CRM on the Zapier service!
Postcards
Postcards are another great way to keep your company top of mind.
Using Clear Estimates’ customer list export option, you can easily set up a great postcard campaign!
Discounts & Promotions
Another approach to boost sales ahead of the season is by offering special discounts to loyal customers.
With Clear Estimates’ Misc. Items feature, you can quickly add discounts to any project! See the full steps here:
Clear Estimates - Adding Taxes & Discounts
Focus on Staffing
Finding the right team can be a challenge, so it's always a good idea to get started early. Hiring early gives new employees time for training and skill building.
Skilled team members with great worth ethic are in high demand, so setting the wheels in motion early will make all the difference come peak time.
With multiple user access options and personalized team training, Clear Estimates can help get your new hires ready to take on the grind!
Equipment Inventory
To get the most out of your time on site, it helps to make sure the tools and equipment you need are in order.
Take inventory of your equipment early on before the season starts. Consider your crew size and project scope, and double check that your crew has access to the tools they’ll need. Order any supplies early on - this way you're looking at it, not for it!
That means more than just augers or nail guns. It’s also a good idea to get your software tools and workflows set up for success.
This is a great time to integrate Clear Estimates with your preferred CRM, project management tool, or set up your QuickBooks account!
It's also a great opportunity to set up any custom project templates you’ll need to speed up your estimating process.
The Year in Review
It’s important to look back on your previous year to get prepped for the months ahead.
Reviewing your company records, invoices and estimates from the previous year help you know what to expect in the coming season. Determine which months saw your highest workload, and take note how many jobs you bid on, number of jobs won and lost, what went well and what didn’t.
For a new venture, making sure your business’ insurance info and tax documents are in order will help you get the most out of the coming year.
Take a look at some great tips on liability insurance for contractors from our friends over at Contractornerd! They share great tips for plumbing contractors, as well as best practices for other trade types!
Contractornerd - General Liability Insurance
Plus, Clear Estimates keeps records of your projects, invoices and customer info, making it easy to look back on what you accomplished the previous year!
Taking the time to get things in order makes for a smoother transition into the busy months. Using Clear Estimates, you'll spend less time at the desk and more time focusing on the task at hand!
