When I entered the small-business game as the president ofStorageMart, a self-storage facility, I knew to expect a seasonal slowdown. After all, fewer people need storage facilities during the busy holiday months as moving isn’t exactly a priority. But expecting the slowdown and actually experiencing the slowdown are two very different things.
While I felt powerless as I watched my sales goals slip, I definitely wasn’t alone.Many industries, known as cyclical consumer goods and services, face slowing sales from weather, economic and seasonal shifts. For example, lodging and resorts see scorching hot summer months of sales and revenue, but their empty rooms and tables are left to collect dust over the winter.
