I am new to the business and I haven't been getting many calls lately. Most carpet guys around here tell me it is a slow time, is this normally a down time?
For residential work it is usually slow when the weather is cold. When credit cards bills maxxed out from Christmas buying begin to arrive, that also puts damper on spending.
Commercial work is usually steady year-round. To help level things out you may want to pursue some commercial jobs or open an income tax preparation office.
I've been doing this 6 years. The first 4 were real bad in January and Februrary. Last year was real good and this year is unbelievable. Give it a few years.
The right answer is, you should be as busy as you want to be.
Feb is traditionally a slow month in residential, but there are millions of square yards of carpet begging for a cleaning in any given month, in any climate, in any market.
I started in January a couple of years back and had a miserable first 3-4 months. This January was my best month yet so....? Based on my experience and reading this board as a newbie there is a learning curve you have to be prepared for. What changed it around for us was a single positive posting on a mom's board . Keep the faith and get your marketing together and things should improve in the Spring. Good luck.
January is a good time to mail to your customer base after you build it up. I sent out postcards with a 15% off any service before the end of Feb. and had a really good response. I also sent them a tile and grout brochure introducing my new srvice and reminding them of the other services I offer like area rugs and upholstery.
Springtime is just around the corner. Hang in there!