With the winter season approaching, asphalt maintenance contractors across the country are racing against the weather to finish up those remaining jobs.
In the asphalt industry, September is a crucial month that truly can make or break the season for contractors. It’s the biggest opportunity to hit your year’s sales numbers.
Watch as Kevin Gray, ADC Paving, and I discuss exactly what his company is doing to make up for pandemic, weather, and staffing challenges this year so that they finish the year strong.
Your Asphalt Sealing Business deserves to finish the season strong. 🎯 your Asphalt Business Goals
Maybe you don't have cultural challenges in your business: perhaps you're the only employee or it is just two of you. That doesn't mean you shouldn't still set goals and do everything you can to hold yourself accountable to them.
In business, you have two levers you control: your costs and what you charge.
If you’ve already got proposals that have been signed off on, you don’t have much wiggle room on the second.
But you can still help manage your costs, and the best way to do that? Save on supplies by buying in bulk.
We know that you’re spending most of your days doing critical crack maintenance before ice and frost set in. The most logical place to save then? Crack fill. Buying a pallet of crackfill at a time means you pay less per box. The more you buy, the more you save.
Sounds good right? So why doesn’t everyone stock up?
Let’s go over a few of the most common worries, figure out how to tackle them and ensure your prosperous September will keep your business afloat over winter!
Fear number one: You’re afraid to lay out the money
This is a common fear; it’s always scary to fork out a lot of cash up front when you can’t be 100% sure that it will pay off. However, Muhammad Ali said, "He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life."
This initial investment will prove valuable when you have the ability to get as many jobs as possible completed before the winter.
With winter being an asphalt driveway or parking lot’s worst enemy, and September being your clients’ last chance to get a bulk of its yearly maintenance completed, as long as you are marketing to your customers the importance of getting the job done, you should have no trouble landing the work.
Fear number two: Lack of time to do the work
Maybe your problem is the exact opposite: maybe you have so much work you are sure you won't get it all done anyway, so you're too busy to add everything up and order it all at once.
Trust me, that's one of the biggest mistakes you can make.
You need to work smarter, not harder, and that means looking for leverage. If you have a big order to put in, you have more leverage with your supplier and you can take advantage of bulk savings.
You can also whittle your acquisition time down to one shot - one delivery or one pick up - so that you’re not spending precious hours running back and forth to get the supplies you need for each job.
Look for leverage in order to grow faster and more profitably.
Fear number three: Where am I going to store it all?
This is a fair worry if you’re lacking in storage space at your office, but now is the time to get creative! Think first about what supplies you need to have a strong financial month in September, and think about where you’re going to put it all second.
Whether you temporarily have to store tins and tools under a tarp or in your personal garage, there are always options if you think outside the box!
Sealer has to be stored long-term in a heated facility: if it freezes, it’s ruined.
You may not know that rubber crack sealant, though, can freeze, and has a lifespan of five years in its box. If you need to build a temporary shelter to store it you can do it fairly easily.
Again, September is all about maximizing profits!
What tips would you give an asphalt contractor looking to start the winter season off with a bang this September?
