Wake up and smell the coffee: your business too is affected by the weather!

by Kurt on November 7, 2011

The weather. Probably one of the most talked about subjects in the world. And not without a reason. Not only does it affect our days, our moods, our plan, it also affects businesses to a large extend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fact:

70% of businesses are affected by weather ! Examples:

  • Ski resorts
  • Beach clubs
  • Movie theaters
  • The beverage industry
  • Insurance companies
  • The film industry
  • Energy companies
  • Construction
  • Farming
  • and many many more…

 

That’s trillions of dollars! Imagine the effect on the GDP. Some articles mention one third of the global GDP to be weather-dependent.

And of course, the sheer agony lies in its unpredictability. This is one area where man has difficulty controlling the world.  God must smile at that 😉

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What do you do with that? What do you do if YOUR company is affected by the weather? Some thoughts:

1- Bitch and moan about how crappy the weather is, and that your business is going down the drain because of it. Not a smart choice…

2- Turn it upside down. Make a negative a positive! Give discounts to your clients when they buy in conditions other than your normal/average weather conditions. Great.

3- Know the impact of the weather on your sales! Understand seasonality. Forecast and plan against it. Smart.

4- Work with specialists in the field. Example: http://www.climpact.com/en/the-company. Worth a shot.

5- Take an insurance that covers the extremes. Nice.

6- Go find another line of business. Good enough.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To close off, London Skies, a brilliant song about London weather by new-style Jazz genius, Jamie Cullum (yes, I’m a big fan)

What do YOU do when the weather impacts your business?

Thank you for reading this blog post,

Kurt thumbnail

 

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