Spring is a time of renewal for a lot of people, which often involves some cleaning. Although you might use this time to air out your home and get ready for warm weather, your business could also use a little clearing out. Here are five tips to help you use the spring to get ready for the summer busy season.
Detail Your Vehicle
If you’re like a lot of contractors, you practically run your business out of your construction vehicle. You may spend much of your time driving to client sites. This means that your business vehicle acts as a face for your business, or a kind of advertising. Not unlike a billboard, you want your vehicle to look its best. Arrange for a thorough cleaning, inside and out. Schedule service and check the condition of the tires. If the vehicle needs a few cosmetic repairs for chips and dents, now is a good time to do it. That way, when you arrive to meet with a client, you can provide a professional look from the beginning.
Service Your Equipment
For the construction equipment that you own, you need to have a plan to service it regularly. One of the problems that business owners face is finding time to take care of their assets. But if you don’t, you may find that your equipment breaks down or wears out long before the end of its natural lifespan. Before the start of the busy season, invest some time into having your equipment serviced. For small tools, it might be enough just to inspect them and test them out yourself. If they are showing signs of damage, you’ll have the opportunity to get them fixed or replace them.
Organize Your Files
Keeping your files organized is one of the most important things that you can do when you run a business. This is true even if you keep a paperless office and rely mostly on electronic or scanned documents. Take a moment to go through your files, and make sure that everything is in order. If you had a few months when your attention to filing was a little more lax than you’d like, now is the time to come up with a system that works for you. Remember that this isn’t necessarily a task that you have to do personally. Many business owners hire an assistant to help keep track of files that might get lost otherwise.
Train Your Employees
If you’ve got a bit of downtime, you should give your employees an opportunity to take some training. When finances allow, going to a construction conference is a great way to learn more about new technology or innovations that can help you run your business more efficiently. Even if you don’t have employees yet, you should use the spring as an opportunity to see what’s new and expand your horizons. If nothing else, take the time to refresh your training on first aid and other safety concerns. You’ll recoup your investment with fewer accidents and lost time on the job.
Contact Past Clients
If you work in a field that relies on a predictable clientele, you should plan to reach out to them. Clients tend to forget about contractors when they aren’t in desperate need of a particular service. It’s good to remind them that you exist. If you’re thinking about offering a referral program, now is a good time to let your satisfied clients know about it. And if you are in the process of expanding your services, you can inform them so that they can decide if there is something that you can do for them this year.
If you want to have a good busy season this year, your contracting business will need to prepare. These tips can help. For more information about running a contracting business, visit CSLS today!