When work slows, a tradie’s regular costs keep arriving. Vehicle finance, insurance, equipment and wages do not necessarily fall when jobs do. Planning for the quieter period while work is busy gives you more options than waiting until the bank balance is already tight.

Map the busy and quiet periods

Look back at when enquiries, jobs and payments tend to rise or fall. Put upcoming work, expected invoice dates and committed costs into a simple forecast. Use cautious payment dates: a completed job is not cash in the account until the customer pays.

Protect the gap between jobs and payment

Send invoices promptly, follow up overdue amounts and agree on payment stages for larger jobs before work starts. Check the contract and the customer’s approval process so the timing is clear. These steps can reduce avoidable delays, although they cannot guarantee when a customer will pay.

Plan for fixed costs and a reserve

List the costs that continue through a quiet month and decide which discretionary spending can wait. Set a reserve target based on the business’s committed costs and the length of its usual slow period; there is no single buffer that fits every trade business. Our guide to building a business cash reserve covers setting that target.

Review the forecast as conditions change

Update the expected job schedule and payment dates regularly. If work drops further than expected, act early: check upcoming commitments, speak with suppliers or lenders where appropriate, and get advice before a shortfall becomes urgent.

Cash flow through a slow season can also affect what a tradie family can safely draw from the business. See our guide to cash flow for tradie families. If you need help keeping the numbers current, see our bookkeeping for tradies service or contact About Business Bookkeeping.