• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Forum
  • Design Studio
  • Upholstery Jobs
  • Newsletter
  • Sponsors

The Hog Ring

Auto Upholstery Community

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

3 Ways Trim Shops Avoid Slow Season

October 28, 2011 By Nadeem Muaddi

For many auto upholstery shops, winter is a slow season. Cold weather keeps customers away and the added expenses of Christmas limit their ability to splurge on cosmetic fixes to their cars. Still, there are ways to ensure that your auto upholstery business doesn’t ground to a halt – but you’ll need to plan ahead (like right now!)

1. Develop a Winter Schedule

In most states, car show season runs from spring until fall (with the majority taking place during the summer). Given the nice weather and lack of any major gift-giving holidays, this period also tends to be most upholstery shops’ busy season.

While smart business owners are already working the car show circuit to boost business, the savviest of the bunch are also scheduling the most time-consuming jobs that they pick up (like full interior overhauls) for the slow season.

This way, they can spend their busy season handling all the walk-in convertible tops and headliners that they can handle, and have enough time to take care of the bigger, harder jobs when things slow down.

2. Provide Winter Services

Here’s some not-so-shocking news: most drivers complain that their cars get too cold during winter. However, few consider what an auto upholstery shop can do to keep them warm.

By shifting your shop’s advertising focus from convertible tops, headliners and carpets to more winter-appropriate services – like seat heaters, sheepskin seat covers and snow tarps – you can attract a whole new customer base.

Skeptical? A 2011 J.D. Power and Associates study on seat quality and satisfaction, revealed that 70 percent of vehicle owners said that they wanted seat-related amenities, such as seat heaters, installed in their cars.

3. Turn Upholstery into a Christmas Gift

Your customers spend hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars every year on Christmas presents – which leaves little money to spend on fixing their cars (especially on upholstery, which isn’t as vital to a vehicle’s operation as – say, its transmission).

Why not get in on the action by marketing your upholstery services as a possible Christmas gift? There are, after all, loads of car buffs that would love custom embroidered headrests or new door panels for Christmas.

The easiest way to do this is to sell holiday gift certificates. Package them correctly, market them to the right people and watch how many people – looking to give something unique this year – go nuts over the idea.

If all else fails and business still stays slow, consider using the downtime to make improvements to your shop, get your office paperwork in order and attend conferences and seminars where you can network with other industry professionals. After all, it’s called “slow season” not “unproductive season”.

We want to hear from you: How do you plan on avoiding or staying productive this upcoming slow season? Tell us in the comments section below!

Filed Under: Archive, Better Business Tagged With: Auto Trim, Auto Upholstery, Business Tips, Car Interior, Gift Certificates, J.D. Power and Associates, Seat Heater, Slow Season

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Edward Munday says

    December 10, 2016 at 5:23 pm

    Retire… But still on fb, My dad and I would buy several Autos to work on during winter months. We also did boat seats more during winter months the only time some could do without their boats. We were both trained in furniture but we both did not like doing furniture. Campers also need an upholsters help too. The article The HR has we also did. Advertising works if you know where to put it.

  2. ARMInteriors says

    December 14, 2016 at 9:39 pm

    I am so happy to see this thread. I thought it was just me sewing anything and everything this winter! LOL

Primary Sidebar

anal porno bangbros rus porno yaşlı porno konulu porno olgun porno porno izle sarışın porno bakire sex 69 porno

THR Sponsors

NC Sewing Machines
Miami Corporation - Right Rail Ad 3
  • Douglass Interior Products
  • Albright's Supply
  • OEM+ Banner Ad - The Hog Ring
  • Hyde Leather
  • Keyston Bros
  • Leather Craft

THR Favorites

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - Airbag Tag

Sewing Airbag Seams with Durkopp Adler

For good reason, many auto upholstery shops … [more] about Sewing Airbag Seams with Durkopp Adler

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - Rexel Pneumatic Lifting Table

Dream Garage: Pneumatic-Lifting Table

This is the first in a new series of articles … [more] about Dream Garage: Pneumatic-Lifting Table

The Hog Ring - Create Multicolored Windlace like Interiors by Shannon

How to Create Multicolored Windlace like Interiors by Shannon

Want to take your windlace game to the next … [more] about How to Create Multicolored Windlace like Interiors by Shannon

The Hog Ring - The Shop Features Interview with Bux Customs

Bux Customs: ‘We’ve grown from each build’

Chris McClintock of Bux Customs is a rising … [more] about Bux Customs: ‘We’ve grown from each build’

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - Dan Miller Upholstery

Dan Miller on Upholstering the VLF Force 1

The VLF Force 1 — an all-American supercar … [more] about Dan Miller on Upholstering the VLF Force 1

The Hog Ring - Trim Shop Closes after 111 Years in Business

Trim Shop Closes After 111 Years in Business

After 111 years in business, one of the … [more] about Trim Shop Closes After 111 Years in Business

Categories

Footer

Recent Articles

  • Listen to Fat Fender Garage on NC Shop Talk!
  • Don’t Leave Power Tools in Hot Cars — They Can Explode!
  • Everything We Covered in July 2025
  • Greek Police Busted a Gang for Infusing Leather with Cocaine
  • The Polestar 4’s Seats Were Inspired by Sneakers

Recent Comments

  • Edward Munday on Hidden Mouse Nest? How to Charge for the Extra Dirty Work
  • Jack on Keyston Bros. Acquires DLT Corporation
  • Brodie Smith on Aston Martin Just Introduced a New Convertible DB12
  • THE CAPTAIN on 6 Tips for Turning Callers into Customers
  • Dmei on Star Wars Seat Covers are ‘So Wizard’

Advertise With Us!

We're always looking for companies to collaborate with. Watch this short video about the benefits of sponsorship and then email us to say hi.

Copyright © 2025 · Magazine Pro On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in