If your business runs on the South Shore’s seasons, you know the pattern. From spring into fall, the phone does not stop: landscaping in Duxbury, roofing in Marshfield, decks and docks in Scituate, outdoor work all along the coast to Plymouth. Then the weather turns, the work slows, and the bills keep coming.
Seasonal businesses can be very profitable and still feel broke for four months a year. Here is how to manage cash flow so the slow season does not catch you off guard.
Why seasonal businesses feel cash crunches
- Costs come before revenue. Materials, equipment, and crew get lined up in spring, before the busy season’s invoices are paid.
- Customers pay on their own schedule. Busy season revenue can take weeks to collect.
- Fixed costs do not take the winter off. Insurance, vehicle and equipment loans, and rent keep going.
- A good summer can hide problems. When cash is pouring in, nobody checks where it is going.
Step 1: Know your monthly fixed costs
Add up what goes out every month no matter what: loan payments, insurance, vehicles, software, rent, and any year-round wages. This is the number the slow season has to cover.
Step 2: Look at last year’s months side by side
Run a profit and loss by month for last year, and look at the bank balance at the end of each month. You will see the pattern clearly: when cash peaks, when it bottoms out, and how long the slow stretch lasts.
Step 3: Set money aside during the peak
During the busy months, move a set share of each deposit into a separate savings account for the slow season. Treat it like a bill. When the slow months come, that account covers the fixed costs.
Step 4: Invoice fast, and follow up
The fastest cash improvement for most trades is invoicing the day the job is done, not the weekend after. Then follow up on anything unpaid at 30 days. Collecting deposits before work starts, recorded properly, helps too.
Step 5: Line up credit before you need it
A line of credit is easiest to get when the business is doing well. Arrange it during a strong season so it is there if the slow season runs long. Use it for timing gaps, not for ongoing losses.
Step 6: Time big purchases
Buying a new truck or piece of equipment at the end of a strong season can make sense. Buying it in February, when cash is lowest, can be painful. A short-term forecast tells you which.
Step 7: Forecast the next few weeks
A simple cash forecast lists cash in the bank today, the money expected to come in over the next several weeks, and the money going out: payroll, materials, loan payments, and bills. It turns “I think we’ll be fine” into a number.
Step 8: Keep the books current through busy season
This is where most trades fall down. In July, nobody has time for the books. By November, four months of receipts are waiting, and nobody knows what the summer actually earned. Current books are what make every step above possible.
Your seasonal cash plan
Tick off each step as you finish it.
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How we help trades on the South Shore
For our trades clients, we keep the books current in QuickBooks Online through busy season and slow season alike. Every account is reconciled monthly, and reports stay current, so you can check a number from the job site, the truck, or the kitchen table at nine at night. When it is part of the engagement, we build short-term cash forecasts for the decisions ahead.
“Filled with gratitude and appreciation for Larsen Bookkeeping Services. LBS has taken Classic Tractor Services, LLC, sand & gravel excavation business, to that of a high level, efficient, up to date, organized bookkeeping model over the last 4 months. Reasonable/fair pricing, they are always available for questions.”
Frequently asked questions
It depends on your fixed costs and how long your slow season lasts. Last year’s monthly numbers are the best guide. Your CPA can help you think it through.
We can bring the file current, going back as far as necessary, as the first step of monthly bookkeeping so it does not happen again.
No. Everything is done online, with documents shared digitally and questions handled by phone or email.
Start with a conversation
If you run a seasonal trade in Scituate, Marshfield, Duxbury, Plymouth, Kingston, or Cohasset, request a free consultation before the season gets busy. Prefer the phone? Call 781-924-1489.
This article is general education, not tax or financial advice.