03.23.07
Do You Know The Times And Seasons?
In some industries, it is a weekly cycle. In others, the cycle may be monthly or annual. Some industries may even have all three.
If you are aware of the cycles of your industry, it helps you to balance your expenses with your revenue.
For example, in many fast food restaurants, Monday and Tuesday are low-sales days. One chain used to schedule a weekly “detail night,” when extra cleaning and scheduled maintenance was to be performed. On that night, the closing crew had no deadline–but they had to produce a clean store. Another chain had a “taco night three for 99 cents” special, which meant that people would come in droves on what would otherwise be a low-sales night. I also read about one sit-down restaurant where the owner would have a surprise no-bill night on one Tuesday evening each month, causing people to come in each Tuesday in the hope that this was the free food night.
If your business involves transportation, you might think of Friday and Sunday nights as your weekly low-points. Friday evenings have so much traffic heading North on the 15 freeway that the best thing is to knock off early and give your employees that time with their families. Likewise, on Sundays, the return traffic from Las Vegas backs up as far away as Barstow sometimes. Rather than having employees sitting in that mess, have them wait until Monday morning.
By being aware of your industry’s patterns, including the peculiarities that pertain to your location, you can alter your work patterns or marketing to compensate for the low points. Are you aware of the times and the seasons?
