Safer Cycling Calgary News Blog

The beginning of the off-season is spent wrapping up the season: boring stuff like making sure staff paperwork is completed, accounting is up to date, and photos are labelled & catalogued. I also do quick updates to my website to indicate that there's no courses available until the spring.

There's always some time spent reminiscing on the best moments of the season as well as probably too much time dwelling on things that didn't go very well and/or complaints.

Once the boring stuff is done - or sometimes as a distraction from it - I start to look at the calendar for next year. Planning 6-10 months in advance is challenging: having to decide when to take vacations, figuring out how many of each course to offer, and predict what other people will do isn't actually fun for me.

The course schedule - tentative of course - is usually ready by mid-November. You can see it here.

Part of the scheduling process also involves analysis of how the past season went. I'm a spreadsheet addict and track a ton of course things in a spreadsheet. Every year, I change and/or add something and then I will go back to the previous year's sheets (depending on what it is, 2-3 years, rarely more) and update them as well.

Over the years, my spreadsheet system has evolved from a single sheet which only listed the name and whether or not they were successful in a First Time Adult course to multiple sheets (one for each course), tracking date of course, number of participants per referral method, percentage success for individual ages (for First Time Child courses only), and notes about each participant, like what their struggles and successes were, if an adult mentioned they have kids or sometimes their favourite colour(s).

After I've added/changed things, then I will start to look at things like how many courses of each type I had, what type of course was the most requested, and whether there were any challenges that could be mitigated (I still can't control the weather). I use all of this to create the schedule for the next year, to figure out where to target marketing efforts, even to consider staffing for the future.

Getting ready is an ongoing part of running a business, but also life. I strongly believe in the saying "if you fail to plan, you plan to fail" and I spend a lot of time planning and preparing, both during the season and in the off-season. Some of the things I do in the off-season include: 

• creating social media and blog posts
• updating software and website
• reviewing/refreshing material that I print myself
• ordering postcards, water bottles, Project 529 Shields and other materials
• posting job listings and reviewing applicants
• cleaning, repairing and/or replacing bike parts, accessories and related supplies
• engaging with both new and repeat customers. 

The vast majority of the things I've already mentioned are me working IN the business, doing the actual things that are necessary for the functioning of my business. In the off-season, I have more time to work ON the business. This is stuff that will make it possible for the business to continue if I get wiped off the planet, or allow someone to start a copy in a new place or even just makes it easier for me. (A continued thanks for the recommendation to read The E Myth Revisited, participant who didn't want to be named but knows who he is.) 

I also spend some time in the off-season improving myself: taking courses on marketing, business management and/or first aid, doing physiotherapy or getting my eyes checked, reading books, articles or engaging with other things that seem relevant.

When I started my business, I had no idea how much time a seasonal business requires in the off-season.