Has business slowed down for you? Typically, things slow down in our Chicago Service company during the month of February. We schedule work for then but have contingency plans in place just in case.

Chicago winters are notorious for snow, biting cold, winds and ice. We get out and work in most of this weather. When we absolutely can't be on the roof, we use that day to call our customers on bids, visit customers to discuss bids, go door to door and tie up loose ends. How prepared are you? Can you change directions on a dime? If not, then it's time to develop your contingency plans.

Create expectations

Make sure your employees know what to expect. For example, if they can't get out and work on the roof, they can still earn money by coming into work. There will always be something for them to do. And, they will be expected to be at work unless road conditions would endanger their lives.

Have a plan

Are you prepared for loss of electricity? A few years ago we had a storm that knocked out power in our warehouse. Our phones wouldn't work. We were able to switch the phones to ring into an employee's home that had power. We have also had similar situations with loss of our telephones.

Have a solution

Do you have a back-up generator? This could run the fan on the furnace and power the phones if needed. Maybe you need two generators. You can bet that the chances of finding a generator in a power outage are slim to none. Prepare your solution ahead of time.

Business is slow

Plant the seeds for future business. Follow up on bids. Revisit old bids. Call customers who haven't used your services this year and schedule them. Go door to door (we do). Reorganize so when you do roll again things will be more efficient. Take time to network with other businesses in the area such as realtors, insurance companies, masons (who don't like small jobs), roofers and other service companies. Do you offer dryer vent cleaning? Stop by Laundromats, beauty parlors, barber shops, restaurants, and automotive shops – in short – any business that washes towels, dust/dirt rags or clothes.

Invite your employees to help plan. They may come up with some creative original ideas. As Benjamin Franklin once said, "By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail".

Rob Lindemann

The Virginia Association of Chimney and Hearth Professionals is providing a Chimney Safety Institute of America's C-DET Review and Exam as well as Health and Safety Seminars in Alexandria, VA on February 7th and 8th.

Don't miss this opportunity on the 7th to upgrade you or your employee's education with the CSIA's C-DET Review and Exam. There are very few opportunities to add on a significant offering to your business with such a low educational investment. The cost is only $199 for the review, $169 for the test and $75 for the manual (NCSG Member prices) making it $443 total. To register for this C-DET Review and Exam, click here.

On the 8th Hope Stevenson is teaching a Health & Safety Seminar worth 6 CEU's. This class is priceless in value if you or your employees are saved from being injured. The price is $99 for non-VACHP Members and $89 for members. Click here for the registration form.

If you aren't a member of the VACHP, then consider joining online by clicking here ($50 to join). They will be offering 2-3 educational workshops every year with the goal of helping our members accrue the CEU's necessary to maintain their CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep Credentials.

This two-day event will be held at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center on 5000 Seminary Road in Alexandria, Virginia, 22311. To call for reservations you can reach them at 703-845-1010. Mention VACHP & CSIA when booking your room to get the discounted room rate of $179. The parking fee is waived for registrants of CSIA's C-DET.

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

Despite the mildest winter on record for most of us, Spring has arrived. To me Spring is the season of growth. You look outside and nature is busy growing. The plants are busy growing taller and wider. The animals are busy multiplying. For us humans, Spring often represents growth. To some it is a begins with a good Spring cleaning. For others it starts with a spiritual renewal. In many ways we all begin to prepare for growth in all aspects of our life.

Spring is also a season for growth in our businesses. The busy season is now over. It is time to reflect on what worked and what didn't. It is time to reflect on last year's goals and set new ones. If you haven't realized it by now Lindemann Chimney Co., wants to help you with this. We want to be a partner in your growth. We've spent decades in the field and countless hours with our customers learning what works and what doesn't.

We want to leverage all this experience and customize a program that works for you. We can help you with getting your phone to ring, financing your business, adding your first employee, training employees, pay structuring, sales coaching, marketing and much more. The bottom line is if you partner with us we partner with you. We are willing and uniquely qualified to help you achieve your goals. If you are interested, just reach out to us. My email is rob@lindemannchimney.com. I am very diligent about returning emails, so if for some reason I do not please call, my spam filter may have grabbed it. Our toll-free line is 800-722-7230.

Looking forward to growing together. Rob Lindemann

Written by Rob Lindemann, CEO, Lindemann Chimney Co.