5 Ways to Keep Business Hopping Through the Holidays

2017-12-06

With Thanksgiving behind us and the busy December holiday season ahead, some contractors experience a seasonal business slowdown, as customers' attention is focused elsewhere.

Here are 5 ways to keep cash flowing in through the winter:

1. Shift your focus indoors.

If you have an outdoors-focused concrete business that's particularly hard hit when cold weather comes, consider adding interior remodeling and construction type projects to your repertoire - like garage floors or commercial flooring. (Our products can be installed over a wide range of temperatures, from freezing temps to hot summer days, so weather need not be an obstacle!)

2. Develop – and market – a niche.

Set yourself apart from your competitors and laser in on specific customer needs to position yourself as the go-to expert on a topic. What is your expertise? What are the jobs that your customers request again and again? We've featured several concrete coating niches:

•    Anti-slip flooring
•    Conductive or static dissipative floor coatings that dispel electrostatic discharge
•    Anti-microbial floor coatings
•    Chemically resistant floors
•    Upscale garage floors

3. Meet last-minute holiday renovations for your residential clients.

A local plumber announced in a recent networking meeting that the number one repair he sees this time of year is replacing toilets – a fact that surprised most in attendance. He went on to explain that with holiday entertaining and visitors, people invest in renovating their bathrooms. What coating could you apply to prepare for seasonal guests? Redoing bathroom or garage floors, finally finishing up that basement... Ask your clients how you can help them get ready for the holidays.

4. Reach out to your business customers.

Some companies end their fiscal year December 31 – and may have budget dollars to burn, with December being the last month renovations and improvements can be made to offset profits. Also, the holidays can be a great time to complete a project, while employees are out of the office, which means no additional downtime. What projects can you help your commercial and industrial clients complete before the end of the year?

5. Ask for referrals.

An integral part of any good marketing strategy, everyone knows that referrals and word-of-mouth often make up the better part of closed business. But did you know that, as a Texas Tech University study found, that 83% of consumers are willing to refer after a positive experience - yet only 29% do? People mean well, but they're busy. Being proactive about referrals boosts your business year-round:

•    Contact your customers and ask, "Who do you know who...?"
•    Offer a referral bonus if clients or colleagues send you clients.
•    Reach out to businesses that offer complementary services or serve the same customers, and set up a mutually beneficial referral relationship.

The key to keeping business moving is to keep moving. Don't let the season fool you – opportunities abound! To learn more about how to get referrals from Citadel as certified trained provider, or reduce your client downtime even further, click here to schedule a no-obligation talk with one of our coating experts.