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Every contractor knows that for at least part of the year, work on-site will slow down. Usually, that coincides with winter or the rainy season, but whenever it happens for you, you’re going to have a few months where things are slow.

The good news is that while you might not be putting in the hours on-site, there are plenty of ways to improve your business while things are slow, and here are six of our favorites.

Find superstar new employees. Even if they don’t start right away, hiring great people before things get busy can be a great way to hit the ground running and get great employees before others snatch them up.

Implement critical systems. Improve your OHS (Occupational Health & Safety) program, start using a computer based project management system or develop a quality assurance program. Trying to start those when things are busy is tough, so the off season is the perfect time.

Develop a marketing plan. You would be surprised how much it helps to have your goals and strategies for growth written down when things get busy again. A marketing plan helps to give you a road map for your marketing and PR, and helps you sustain business and growth for the long-term.

Develop marketing materials. No one has time to spend on graphic design and copywriting (or approving them at the very least) when things are busy. Spend the off season improving your brochures, flyers, catalogs and website, get managed wordpress hosting now for a fully optimized site.

Research and test new software and tools. The quiet season is the perfect time to try out those free trials of online resources and tools that you think may help, buy you’ve never had time to test out properly.

Train your employees. The off season is a great time to train your existing laborers and employees. Send them on courses that there’s never time for when everyone is hard at work, and they’ll be able to achieve more when things start up again.

These are just a few of the ways you can use the quiet season to your advantage this year. We hope that these business tips for contractors work for you, and that you get the results you want.

Designing a business card can be overwhelming for some contractors – after all your whole image is at stake. When designing your business card, there are a few standards. At a minimum, business cards should:

Communicate what business you’re in
Communicate your area of expertise
List your address, phone number, email, website, and any other essential contact information
Be professional and presentable

In general, a business card should leave an impression with a customer or prospect that you’re a contractor who provides a professional service, working for a reputable company. You can opt for Metal Kards to ensure that your card stands apart from the rest. The more ways you have of letting people get in touch with you, the more chances you’ll have for that new job or construction project, so don’t leave out your phone number(s), email address, website, and physical address if you have an office or showroom.

If you’re an electrician, plumber or one of them from the plumbers in Essendon, handyman or general contractor choose a simple, clean design that illustrates professionalism and trust. A simple, but unique logo will add a level of credibility to your business that will set you apart from your competition.

A lot of people ask if they should use a professional designer to design their business cards. It’s up to you, but if you’ve never designed one before, it’s not a bad idea. Standard business cards are 3.5 inches wide by 2 inches high and can be single-sided or double-sided, depending on how much information you want to convey and how much you want to spend on printing. Many print shops will have their own design services that can put together a nice design for you quickly if you tell them what you’re looking for.

It’s not difficult find stock art or royalty-free graphic images on the Internet that you can use for the design of your card. Be sure the artwork is in a format any printer can use (.jpg or .eps are best). The type should be clear, readable and not too small for those clients who don’t have great eyesight.

Your business card should be a reflection of the service and quality you provide. After you leave, it’s often what a person will use to remember you, so be sure it’s done well.

7 Off-Season Actions to Build a Strong Contracting Business

Business Card Best Practices for Contractors

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