Summer lull?

[nixmix]

Hi all,

So I setup about two months ago and had a great run of business up until last week when nothing came in.
Have anyone else experience with a drop in business in summer? I'm guessing good weather and holidays will mean not so many people needing IT help!

Cheers,
N

 

[joydivision]

Not a single phone call for a new job all day I find there is less fix/repair jobs in the summer.

 

[GCS]

Exact same thing here.... and it's killing me.

 

[nixmix]

Thought so. Might just tone done my adwords for a while and save a bit.

 

[cypress]

Getting about a job a week. Has given me more time to finish up site and logo work being done.

 

[mason]

in our shop we go from at least 5 jobs a day to 1 in the summer.

Best chance to get all your crappy stuff done. ( Paper work ) and update any software you use and look in to new ways of working / advertising.

 

[Ken's PC Repair]

I was dead for almost 3 weeks. Then last week I had 8 laptop screen replacements, 4 tuneups, 9 virus removals, and 2 dc jacks. And I'm a one man show running out of my house!

Any time I'm slow I put more into my marketing (newsletter, website SEO, throw up signs, leave a stack of cards at local small businesses). Always turns it around.

 

[buzzcut]

I live in cottage country so July and August is very slow. I shut down on Saturdays and do like others and enjoy the summer.
Gone fishing

 

[axiomcrs2]

What size population centers do you guys figure you service? I'd like to know if slowness is due to a small population center or is it because of the season.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

The crazy busy run is still going, for businesses that are retiring their Server03 and WinXP rigs. Just picked up a check for a 1x server and 4 workstation network, doing a quote for another old client...server, 3 workstations, 2 laptops. Big deal for a nursing home server (4x of them) upgrade coming up this month.

Today while helping some friends of mine that own an alarm company, I help them do the DVR to the firewall setup for the mobile app to work. It's a little side gig, good for a few jobs a month...not a big money maker (just 150 a pop)...but the big thing is, networking through them. They're a higher end alarm company, their clients want the best of the best, not the cheapest place around. Anyways...this morning they had me help them with the new home of the owner of a large commercial construction company. Met the guy, shook hands, talked for a while, sounds promising.

 

[pcoverhaul]

I'm surprised I have been as steady as I have because usually June is when it slows down.

One thing I did to help drum up some business- I created a "local small business" page on Facebook for my town and invited people to join and advertise their businesses as well. It has over 200 members, ranging from landscapers to massage therapists to people looking to do odd jobs. Just another way to reach some local people for free, while also helping small businesses in my area in general.

I'm planning on posting a summer special for students to get their computers cleaned up during the summer holiday (when they are less likely to be using them or may be on vacation).

 

[Krynn72]

We tend to slow down for the summer as well, but it hasn't hit bad yet. I think we had about 10 check-ins today, which is about average.

 

[JonnyRT]

A bit of lull here too. Just about to send out a printed newsletter to my 'good' customers so we'll see if that helps.

 

[axiomcrs2]

Krynn72, where is your shop located? Ten check-ins in one day seems very good. What were they for if I may ask?

 

[Paul Rodgers]

School is out, so the children don't need to have their machines working for school. Parents just tell them to play outside.

Or aliens.

 

[joydivision]

Just had the quietest five days for about a year, not booked a single job in

 

[callthatgirl]

I just posted this in another thread,

If anyone is slow right now and has a wordpress site, my latest podcast show has some simple instructions on how to do some SEO pretty easy for your local town and surrounding communities. I give a few examples.

Might help some, those that have time to write content. Click here to download

 

[drnick5]

We run into the same thing here pretty much every year. It always seems like the 1st warm week we get in the spring also happens to be a slow week for regular drop off work (I'm guessing clients are sick of the New England winters and are going outside instead of playing with their computers). We usually get a 2nd lull around the 4th of july, probably for the same reasons. Although we are building more and more MSP clients on monthly contracts. so in those cases, when the phone doesn't ring, its a good day as we still get paid!

 

[Galdorf]

No lull here i was hoping for a quiet summer so i can get some website designing going but people keep dropping in.
I think it's this crazy weather drops to 49F at night avg daytime temp is 63F never seen such a cool summer if it's like this i hate to think what next winter is going to be like.

 

[callthatgirl]

Lull'in here. Was great the week before holiday, now a slow going for this week too. Up the marketing, get on it and stay busy. That's my goal.