Winter is coming, and although your customers may look forward to the festivities, they won’t be thrilled about construction delays — and your business won’t benefit from them either. With the winter months come weather conditions that can impact scheduling and increase safety risks, and business in general slows way down.
But it doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom. As winter approaches, consider the following ways to maximize downtime during the slow months, and keep your business humming along:
- Create a game plan. Before winter hits, check in with your business and be sure you’re running a tight ship. Map out the parts of jobs that will be more difficult to complete in harsher weather conditions. Complete more weather-dependant tasks as soon as possible before the winter season, and put off tasks that don’t depend on good weather until later. Keep employees informed about your game plan and focused on the more urgent tasks, so everyone is on the same page with respect to their responsibilities and time constraints.
- Invest in and use technology.* Depending on the job, staying up to date on project progress can be challenging for remote stakeholders, especially when schedules are unpredictable and travel is restricted due to the weather. Employing modern technology on jobsites streamlines project management throughout a project’s lifecycle, regardless of seasonal setbacks. For example, construction cameras can provide 24/7 live streaming of video footage, keeping everyone up to date about project progress and enabling effective collaboration between project managers and jobsite crews. You or your employees may not be able to be there all the time, but keeping a close eye on the site is the next best thing.
- Offer discounts to your customers.* Most customers are aware of how weather can impact construction schedules. Make up for it by offering them an off-season discount. Discounts are a great way to connect with customers on a more human level, build loyalty and encourage referrals. Winter downtime is the perfect time to think of ways to elevate customer experience, and it opens up time to plan new ways to market and promote your business.
- Revise your website. With more time on your hands, you’ll have time to update and improve how you market your firm. Before winter’s here, use construction cameras to capture time-lapse videos of a current project, then leverage that footage on your website to add dimension and interest. Time-lapse video can be used for PR and investor relations, as well, providing visual proof that your firm can handle complex projects.
- Brush up on the details. During the slower months, work with your employees and reaffirm company standards for safety and jobsite efficiency. Check in with all your workers and make sure they’re up to date on regulations, policies and business processes. You can also use this time to do a deep dive into the tools and technologies used on the jobsite, so crews have the training they need to be as productive as possible once the weather clears.
- Prepare for the new year. Winter is a great time to reflect on business decisions from the past year and decide what you plan to carry with you into the new year. Review insurance coverage, compare past and future hiring standards and assess future technology needs. Perhaps it’s time to implement new solutions for construction site monitoring, such as solar powered cameras, or beef up surveillance monitoring to reduce theft and improve productivity. Do a little research, and be sure you have the processes and technology in place to stay competitive and be more profitable in 2020.
Weathering the Storm
Although you can’t control the weather, the weather doesn’t have to control you. Use the winter months to get organized and prepared for the coming year. TrueLook offers an array of construction cameras and services that could help you boost profits and differentiate your firm from the competition. Check out a demo here.
