The End of Feast and Famine in Home Services
- Darwin T.
- Mar 3
- 6 min read
Why Most Home Service Businesses Struggle with Slow Seasons and How I Have Helped Clients Break Free!
Every home service business owner has felt it. One month, you are so busy you cannot keep up. The next, the calls stop, and you are scrambling to cover bills. The slow season hits, and suddenly, marketing costs go up while your revenue goes down. This cycle is why so many home service businesses stay stuck year after year. Most owners blame the seasons, but that is not the real problem. The real problem is not having a common sense business model that keeps customers coming back and revenue steady year-round.
I have helped my clients break free from this cycle by showing them exactly how to keep their schedules full in slow months. If you want to stop relying on the next busy season to save your business, then keep reading below!
Landscapers Who Ignore Early Spring Lawn Prep
Most landscaping businesses wait until spring to start marketing. That is a mistake. By the time customers start calling, they are already considering other companies. The best landscapers lock in customers before the season even starts by offering early spring fertilization and pre-emergent weed control in late winter.
What happens when you do this:
You secure repeat customers before they start shopping around
You create upsell opportunities by offering mulch refreshes, tree trimming, and irrigation checks
You fill your schedule before the season gets busy, keeping cash flow steady
One of my landscaping clients made a simple shift. They started calling past customers in January instead of waiting for spring. Within 30 days, they had pre booked over 80 percent of their spring lawn maintenance spots. No more waiting for calls to come in. Customers were already locked in before the season started.
What I recommend: Start a pre spring sms, email and call campaign. Offer early bird discounts on fertilization, weed prevention, and spring cleanups. Most homeowners do not even realize these services should happen before the first big growth spurt. If you educate them, they will book with you every time, instead of your competitor.
HVAC Companies That Only Sell Installs and High Repairs
Most HVAC businesses focus on heating in the winter and cooling in the summer, but they are ignoring the most important part of their name. The V in HVAC stands for ventilation, and yet 99 percent of companies never train their staff on how to fix it. Ventilation is what keeps air moving efficiently. It prevents hot and cold spots in a home or business. It improves air quality. It also helps your customers breathe better. Who doesn't want clean air? Ask one of your service techs in private next time you see them and have them tell you what they know about ventilation. Better yet, have them sell you on the spot and see how well they did. That will be a great non threathening way to offer support and coach them up! Plus you get to see as close to the real thing what their process is.
But there is another problem. Homeowners are actively searching for solutions to their families allergies, dust, and poor indoor air quality and circulation. Have you visited your local Home Depot or Lowes lately and seen all of the options as soon as you walk in the door? If your team does not know how to help identify areas of improvement, I can guarantee you, they will call someone else who does.The best HVAC companies do not just install equipment.
They sell complete home comfort solutions.They offer every time:
Attic insulation upgrades to improve efficiency and reduce system strain
Whole-home air purification and sanitization before allergy season to eliminate dust, mold, and bacteria
Duct sealing and air balancing to ensure proper airflow in every room and no air losses
Smart Thermostat Installations – Many homeowners still use outdated thermostats that waste energy. Offering smart thermostats as an upsell helps customers save on utility bills while keeping their home comfortable year round.
Dehumidifier and Humidifier Systems – In areas with extreme humidity or dryness, whole-home dehumidifiers and humidifiers improve air quality and prevent damage to wood floors, furniture, and even the HVAC system itself.
UV Light Air Purification – Homeowners worried about mold, bacteria, and viruses will invest in UV light air purification systems that clean the air before it circulates through the home.
Zoning Systems for Multi-Level Homes – Many two-story homes have hot and cold spots because one thermostat cannot manage the entire house. Selling a zoned HVAC system allows homeowners to control temperatures by floor or room, increasing comfort and efficiency.I had an HVAC client who added attic insulation and whole-home air purification as an upsell during routine maintenance visits. Within three months, these add-ons made up 35 percent of their total revenue, completely transforming their slow season, allowing them to hit budget!
What I recommend: Train your technicians to stop thinking like service tech and start thinking like home comfort quality expert. Every service call should include a conversation about air quality, efficiency, and energy savings. A simple, “Have you noticed more dust in your home lately?” can lead to a conversation about duct cleaning, filtration, or even a whole-home dehumidifier. These conversations increase revenue and build customer loyalty because customers see you as an expert to solve thier problem, not just a service tech.
Pest Control Companies That Ignore Year-Round Protection Plans
Most pest control businesses are stuck in the reaction game. They wait for customers to call when they see bugs. The problem? When the weather cools down, those calls stop, and revenue dries up.
The businesses that stay busy educate homeowners on year-round pest prevention and offer proactive service plans to keep customers locked in.
The top pest control companies I have helped implemented
Rodent exclusion services in the winter before rats and mice invade homes
Mosquito prevention treatments in early spring before the problem starts
Crawlspace moisture control and home sealing to stop infestations before they happen
I have also worked with a pest control business that introduced a year-round pest protection membership. Within 4 months, they had over 300 customers paying a monthly fee, creating predictable, recurring revenue even during slow months. It completely changed their business success.
What I recommend: Offer annual pest protection memberships. Customers are more likely to pay a small monthly fee than a big one time bill. This guarantees consistent revenue and reduces cancellations because they see you as a long term solution, not just an emergency service.
All Home Service Businesses Should Work Together
One of the biggest missed opportunities I see is local collaboration. Too many businesses operate in hidden silos, losing customers to companies that offer more services. The reality is simple. If you do not offer everything a homeowner needs for your industry, they will find a company that does.
Here is how collaborating with other home service businesses has helped my clients keep more customers and increase revenue
Landscapers and Pest Control – Offering bundled lawn care and mosquito treatment plans keeps customers locked in with both companies. If you do not, the pest control company will take your lawn customers this summer
HVAC and Insulation Companies – Partnering to offer attic insulation and air sealing means more business for both companies and better results for the homeowner
Electricians and General Contractors – If an electrician installs a panel, the homeowner may need other home or business upgrades. Partnering with a trusted general contractor keeps that work in your network instead of losing it to someone else
Plumbers and Water Damage Restoration Companies – When a homeowner has a burst pipe, slab leak, or water heater failure, they need a plumber first, but the damage left behind often requires water extraction, drying, and restoration. Partnering with a local water damage restoration company creates a referral pipeline where both businesses win. The plumbers handle the repair, and the restoration company takes care of the aftermath. This ensures the homeowner does not have to search for multiple providers and keeps both companies top of mind for future needs.
I have seen businesses double their customer retention rates just by implementing little partnerships like these. Try this model out and see if it does not change your business over night!
What I recommend: Create a trusted home services network and refer work to each other.
Homeowners prefer to work with companies that can handle multiple needs instead of searching for a new provider every time they need something. If you are not doing this, someone else is.
If You Are Not Selling Everything You Offer, Someone Else Will
The best home service businesses do not rely on busy seasons to save them. They educate their customers on all they do year round, plan for slow months, and offer full-service solutions that keep them booked all year.
If you are only marketing when things slow down, you are already behind. The businesses that thrive keep customers engaged and pre book work before the slow months hit.
I have helped businesses just like yours build year round demand, increase revenue, and stop worrying about slow seasons.
If you want to take control of your business and stop riding the feast or famine rollercoaster, let’s talk.
Book a Strategy Call Now and I will show you exactly how to set up your business to make money every month of the year without relying on the next busy season to save you.
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