Whats Everybody Do In The Off Season??

[GmanDesign]

Well I know not all of you have an off season but for me this time of year I'm 100% dead. Phone stops ringing and emails stop coming. I usually take this time to rebuild my website and get things up to date, build artwork for the car shows I do thru out the season, remodel parts of my shop, get spring advertising stuff done and put plain relax. But I'd like to to have some kinda profit coming it so I'm asking what everybody else does to keep the doors open in the off season? I'm out of ideas at this point.

 

[Si Allen]

I go out and shoot Trap & Skeet!

 

[Patrick46]

You say you have a website??? What's it's name??? (you autta have a link in your bio!)

also, as you say you do alot of car shows...what do you do for them?? Is it something you can possibly market on e-Buy during the off-season???

 

[klemgraphics]

I wish I had an off season sometimes...but then I would be wishing I was busy...always greener on the other side I guess. Maybe you could try expanding your product offering, its always easier to sell more things to existing customers than finding new customers. Then you could go visit some customers with samples in hand that you think might be of interest to them.

 

[john1]

Just keep hustling! People say they are too busy but would complain about being too slow lol

When it's slow around my way i keep the networking going on facebook, follow up with previous customers and update my website since it's built in wordpress. I also send out emails to potential customers i want to work with using a mailing service.

I actually try to do this as often as i can anyway but you focus more on it when your not producing orders.

 

[speedmedia]

I haven't been this busy in the middle of the summer. Not sure what is going on but I love it! We are slammed and booked out for a few weeks!

Thanks,
Kurt

 

[Mosh]

Make signs. The rest of the year I get drunk and shoot at critters and varments.

 

[Si Allen]

Hmmmmmmmmmmm ... thing I might want to go to work at Mosh's!

 

[SignManiac]

I never get an off season. On the rare occasion we even get a slow period, we spend that time cleaning shop and working on a few personal projects.

 

[Mikeifg]

Was slow this time last year pretty much nothing. NOW I have 40plus trailers I'm working for 3 different customers and more work booked thru spring. Loving it

 

[mark galoob]

pack and ship store...this is our busy time


mark galoob

 

[ova]

Signage side is slowing down somewhat. Have a few sign orders, one truck to do, some banners and some wall graphics. Just enough to keep the sign guy working. I hate to tell an employee to stay home for lack of work. Seems to make me feel incompetant not having work for him.

On the awards side, things are booming. Just finished the football, golf, cross country stuff. Now it's wrestling and basketball. We do about 10 wrestling tournaments each year. One we go onsite and engrave the first place award as the tourney is in progress. It's the complete weight class bracket with all the wrestlers' names. Looks pretty cool .

We'll keep the employees busy with "extra shop work" if we slow down too much. Always something to do even if you don't see a profit now, you'll see it down the road.

Dave

 

[klemgraphics]

Hmmmmmmmmmmm ... thing I might want to go to work at Mosh's!

+1

 

[TheSnowman]

Our phone always totally stops about after Thanksgiving till the first warm sunny day in March or so. I've learned to save up for a vacation, and take at least a week to do that (which we are doing right now) and to keep some income flowing, I plow snow with my plow truck for a landscaping company, and I hang garage doors (family business) because that's always crazy busy at this time of year. The secretary is still at the office 12-4 everyday if people come in or call (which I will get a few a week) and then I will just work in the shop until everything is caught up, and go do the other jobs that make me money till warm weather comes back and signs are on people's minds again.

 

[artbot]

busiest time of year for high end interior signs. so many building projects get arbitrary "finish dates" for the year. and then usually a big grand opening/christmas party is planned for the new space.

 

[shakey0818]

I usually take from the end of October off till February/march.Sometimes i travel a bit,i take my time off and spend time with family,watch a ton of movies and play a lot of poker,and visit the bar for a frosty beverage,However this year i decided to help a contractor friend out who fired his only employee.Its outside work mostly and its freking cold,first time in 5 years i haven't taken 4-5 months off but i really couldn't pass up the amount of cash he is willing to pay and i start and finish when i want and we laugh have fun and bang out some work.I am very grateful for the life i have.I hope you all enjoy yours as i do mine.But next year my ass will be taking plenty of time off and staying outta this cold N.E. weather.

 

[SignosaurusRex]

Things typically slow down a tad bit for me around mid-October through early November which works perfect for my hunting trip(s) schedule. Other than that, I don't really have any down time unless I force it (which usually gets a monkey-wrench thrown in the mix). If any doe's happen to pop up, I like to spend a little therapeutic time fishing, making custom hunting knives and sheaths, gunsmithing or shooting.

 

[tbaker]

When y'all find yourselves slow, I find myself extremely busy. Since I'm in the service end of the industry, this is prime time for those busy shops to catch up on the maintenance that needs handling. Better to do it when it's slow, then have it go down when you're busy.