by Blake Herzog
Getting through the summer doldrums is an issue every southern Arizona business owner must think about; the drop-off in tourism and increase in vacationing residents makes it a hurdle for nearly every firm to clear to some degree.
Fortunately the number of them that have been around for years, decades or generations is a testament to entrepreneurial resilience.
Financial planning months in advance is the most effective survival tool available, but there are many other things to do while we’re in the thick of the heat.
Trimming expenses
Now’s a great time to experiment with lower-cost suppliers, putting in a smaller order to see if their products meet the standards you and your customers have come to expect before committing to a larger order for the high-season crowd.
If you’re satisfied with the ones you’re using now you can seek discounts with them by renegotiating terms based on larger orders, bigger upfront deposits or longer-term commitments.
Training
This is a great time to think about training and continuing education classes for your employees as well as for yourself. Investigate where your team has some room for improvement and set aside time for meetings and classes where everyone can brush up on their skills.
So many more online resources may be available since even the last time you checked that it’s a good idea to take a look at what’s out there; reach out to your network to brainstorm innovative approaches.
Customer retention
Training employees can feed into the broader goal of earning and maintaining customer loyalty, which is particularly important with year-round customers.
Sending out surveys and having one-on-one conversations can help to uncover strong points and weaknesses, and drilling down into customer complaints often reveals patterns that can be corrected.
Find ways to reward repeat customers through coupons or loyalty programs, and if you’re planning a seasonal shutdown do everything in your power to notify customers ahead of time so they aren’t caught off guard.
