Slow Season Planner

How the Slow Season Planner works

Short each slow month is your monthly bills minus what you usually earn in a slow month.

Total to cover is that shortfall times the number of slow months, minus any savings you've already put aside.

Set aside each busy month spreads that total across your busy months. The weekly figure makes it easy to move money every Friday.

Tips from the trade

• Move the money to a separate savings account every week, so it doesn't get spent.
• Offer off-season services or prepaid plans to bring in some income in slow months.
• Include the pay you need for yourself in monthly bills, not just business costs.

A worked example

Here's the example that's already filled in above, so you can see how the Slow Season Planner works before you enter your own numbers.

• Busy months a year8
• Slow months a year4
• Monthly bills (business and the pay you need)$4,500
• Income in a slow month$1,200
• Savings you already have for it$2,000

The result: short each slow month $3,300; total to cover $11,200; set aside each busy month $1,400; or each busy week $324.

Set aside about $1,400 each busy month (about $324 a week) and your slow months are covered.

Related free tools

• Prepay Discount Calculator: how big a discount you can give for prepaying the season and still come out ahead.
• Debt Payoff Calculator: how many months until a debt is paid off, the interest it costs, and what an extra payment saves.
• Business Health Check: ten quick questions that score how healthy your service business is, with your three biggest fixes.

When you need more than the free Slow Season Planner

This calculator answers one quick question. Running a business means doing it on every job, with your own rates saved and a quote you can send.

Slow Season Planner questions