How to Prepare Your Business for a Quiet Month
Quiet months happen to every small business. Here is how to see them coming, fill the gaps with repeat work and follow-ups, protect your cash flow and make good use of the time.
Almost every small business has quiet spells: after Christmas, during the summer holidays, or when a big job finishes and nothing is lined up. They are stressful when they come as a surprise, and much easier when you see them coming. Here is how to prepare.
See it coming
The earliest warning is your pipeline: the value of quotes waiting on a reply and work booked for the coming weeks. If it is lower than usual, act now, not when the diary is empty. Looking at last year’s quiet months tells you when to expect them again.
Fill the diary
Chase open quotes
Quotes waiting on a reply are the fastest source of work. A polite follow-up often turns "we are still thinking" into a date. See how to follow up a quote.
Contact past customers
Annual services, the next room, a maintenance check or seasonal work: past customers are the easiest people to win work from. A short message can fill several days.
Ask for referrals
Let your best customers know you have space. Many will happily pass your name on.
Offer quiet-time work
Some jobs suit quieter months: indoor work in winter, maintenance contracts or smaller jobs customers have been putting off. Mentioning availability can bring them forward.
Protect your cash flow
- Chase every unpaid invoice before the quiet spell starts. See how to chase an unpaid invoice.
- Put money aside during busy months to cover quieter ones.
- Review regular costs and subscriptions you no longer need.
- Take deposits on jobs booked for later.
Use the time well
A quiet week is a chance to do the things you never have time for:
- Update your Google Business Profile with new photos. See how to set up a Google Business Profile.
- Ask past customers for reviews.
- Tidy your customer list and records.
- Service your van and tools.
- Learn a new skill or get a new accreditation.
- Review your prices.
- Take a proper break.
Make the next quiet month smaller
The best protection is a steady stream of repeat work and follow-ups, planned months ahead. In Bizora, you can set reminders a year ahead for annual services, see the value of open quotes at a glance, and find customers who have gone quiet. Start free.
Common questions
How do I get work in a quiet month?
Chase open quotes, contact past customers about their next job, ask for referrals and let people know you have availability.
How can I tell a quiet month is coming?
Watch the value of quotes waiting on a reply and work booked for the coming weeks, and check when last year’s quiet spells were.
What should I do with spare time in a quiet month?
Update your Google profile, ask for reviews, tidy your records, service your tools, review prices and take a break.
