Optimizing your offseason

By Emma Peterson. 

Learn why training is one of the best offseason investments you can make. 

For many contractors, the winter months are considered the offseason due to less than desirable weather conditions. During this time, there are often fewer projects due to the cold and damp, making it difficult to work on the roof. But just because there isn’t as much field work to be done in the winter as there is in the summer, doesn’t mean that there isn’t still some valuable work to be done! In a new episode of Roofing Road Trips®, Megan Ellsworth sat down with John Kenney for a discussion about how contractors can use the offseason for crucial training.  

John has over 45 years of experience in the roofing industry and is the CEO of Cotney Consulting Group, a firm focused on giving contractors “strategic guidance built on real-world field knowledge” that will help their businesses thrive. One of the ways that John and the firm achieve this goal is by offering online training programs. 

These training programs are a great way for you and your crew to keep your skills sharp and operations efficient. They are the perfect way to fill your time in the offseason. John explained:  

The offseason is one of the most underutilized opportunities in the industry. It's more than just a chance to grab your breath. Contractors can use this time to pre-plan. Instead of just sitting and waiting for the phone to ring, you should be investing in training that makes the next busy season even more profitable and, most importantly, less chaotic. 

And the benefits of training in the offseason have been experienced by John’s students. He shared some stories about contractors that utilized his online courses, “People tell me that the training helps they finally understand why things went wrong on past jobs and how to prevent those problems going forward.”  

At the end of the day, one of the best ways to optimize your offseason is by investing in training. As John put it, “Training during slower periods mean people can actually focus, absorb the material, and actually apply it thoughtfully...Training is one of the smartest investments a contractor can make, and it pays dividends long after the season picks back up.”  

Listen to the whole podcast to hear more of John’s insights on how roofers can optimize the offseason. If you’re interested in John’s trainings, you can find them on cotneyconsulting.com (R-Club members get a special discount!)