Why is the phone not ringing? Is the season dead?

Every year we see it. Every year we hear it. And for the most part, we say the same thing. Many aspects of the exterior cleaning industry can be cyclical so depending on your business focus, you may be busier at certain times of the year than others.

Let's take Chase. Chase is a random dude who bought a pressure washer in the early Spring and thought it would be the start of a great business idea. And it was. He started with a few local jobs in the neighborhood and branched out. Word of mouth was enough and neighbors told neighbors. 

Chase stayed busy with residential work until July and then the work 'dried up'. Now what? Chase decided to stay with residential work and increased his advertising through Facebook and some email marketing. He had enough work to keep him busy and keep earning an income. But the new grind and lack of easy work has Chase re-thinking his business. 

Unfortunately, Chase didn't research and complete a business plan and Chase entered the industry without much thought. Chase thought that the Spring-time rush was the pace of the entire year. While not all geographical locations are exactly the same, many of the cyclical components of the industry exist in every market. 

What affects the residential cleaning market? It can be a lot of factors. Here are a few:

Economy

Urgency (HOA Letters)

Political Environment

Weather

Disposable Income

Homeowner Schedules

Holidays

School Schedules

We notice that the residential cleaning market is affected by seasons, holidays, and school schedules. Mom and Dad are focusing on school shopping and not so much on getting the driveway cleaned. It's just a shift in priorities. We find that the Spring season is the strongest. And dips in mid/late-summer and then picks up again in the Fall with exterior cleaning schedule prior to holiday decorations going up.

How does Chase and his business ride this out? For those who have grown accustomed to the 'seasons' of exterior cleaning, surviving and thriving takes planning. Chase should have saved during the Spring season and put those savings away for the slow time. And saved to increase marketing efforts during the slower times. AND saved to complete maintenance during the slow times. Slow times are NEVER slow; these are the opportunities to re-work systems, plan and maintain equipment. Slow times are not an excuse to be lazy. Lazy and successful entrepreneur doesn't work.

Now Chase also has the option to diversify. We see many residential folks that have added additional services like window washing and gutter cleaning. They have added Christmas light installation, snow plowing and lawn care. But just like the initial advice, it's important to research these offerings before jumping into another business idea without the prep work. Because much like the thought that 'pressure washing is easy', none of the diversification options are 'easy'. 

Chase also has the option (assuming he has the correct equipment) to begin to seek commercial opportunities. Most commercial opportunities will require the use of hot water, insurance and will pay on a Net 30 basis.

Hopefully Chase will work his business plan to determine what options could possibly work for him.

Have you been in Chase's position? 

What have you found most effective to increase business during the slow seasons?

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