Dealing with Temporary Spikes in Demand

Dealing with Temporary Spikes in Demand Most businesses will, from time to time, experience a temporary spike in demand. For some, these spikes happen completely out of the blue, whereas for others it will be expected at certain times of the year such as Christmas, and although this is a welcome issue for pretty much every business to have, it is something that can be difficult to deal with, especially if you aren’t prepared for it. If you are now or feel like you will in the future be faced with a spike in demand for your products/services, here are some tips that should help you cope impeccably and offer the same excellent standard your customers are used to: Rent Temporary Space If the spike in demand is going to be such that you won’t have enough space at your usual premises to store your stock, pick and pack your products or simply accommodate the extra staff you will need, then you’re going to want to organize some temporary space. The easiest thing to do is rent a construction tent if you’re in the construction or warehouse industry. If you’re more office-based you could ask a local business with space to spare whether they’d be willing to sub-let to you until your busy period is over or you may even be able to make use of co-working spaces or remote workers depending on the nature of your business. The sooner you sort out extra space, the easier it will be for you to meet demand. Hire Agency Staff or Freelancers Agency staff or freelancers are your best bet when it comes to the additional manpower you will need to keep things going, Agency workers are ideal for factory/warehouse based work and running the office, whereas freelancers are ideal for manning the phones, running website, answering emails and things like that, but always make sure that you choose agencies/freelancers with a good reputation if you want to get by unscathed and offer the same high level of service you are known for. Offer Generous Overtime If you don’t have the time/budget to hire additional staff, the offering your existing employees as generous overtime packages as you can afford to entice them into working longer hours is an excellent alternative that you should absolutely consider. Offer it to your top performers first because you know they are most efficient, before opening it up to everyone else. Notify Your Suppliers immediately If you know that your business is likely to experience a spike in demand, then you should order extra stock at least a couple of months in advance, if you don’t realize it’s going to be an issue and you experience a sudden spike, it’s imperative that you notify your suppliers ASAP and request a speedy delivery. It is likely you will have to pay more for air freight delivery, but you will just have to suck this up because ensuring that you have the stock your customers want should be a priority. Although if you can find a local supplier who will deliver what you need, it may be worth doing a quick deal with them to save time and money instead. I hope this helps you to handle those spikes with ease and make some record profits!