But just because things are slowing down, doesn’t mean that growth needs to stop completely. The moving companies that are nailing it are those that use the slow season to strategize and improve their company.

Here are some ideas for how small movers can turn the off-season into another opportunity for growth.

1. Train your team

When it’s busy, it can often feel like you’re simply surviving the chaos day by day. There’s no time to slow down, learn from mistakes, or work on new skills or training. The slow season is the perfect time to tackle some of these tasks.

Use this time to:

• Refresh sales scripts and objection handling with the team

• Practice estimate walkthroughs

• Cross-train reps on scheduling, customer service, and ops

• Review recorded calls to identify what’s working (and what’s not)

• Build playbooks so new hires can ramp quickly in spring

This will help keep your team engaged and motivated, and ready to hit the busy season with full force.

2. Reach out to past customers 

Reaching out to past customers can help you get referrals, secure some positive reviews for your marketing materials, or get repeat business.

When it’s slow you can use the time to contact previous customers and ask them:

• How they are enjoying the new place

• If there’s anything you could have done better

• Would they recommend you?

• Do they need help with junk removal, a small move, or a move for friends or family?

It’s easy to reach out with a quick email or phone call, and you might end up getting more business from someone you already know.

3. Try out new markets 

The slow season is a good time to consider branching out into new markets. What do you already offer, what do your local competitors offer, and are there any gaps you could easily fill?

Think about:

• Partnering with storage facilities

• Real estate offices

• Retirement communities

• Piano, safe, or specialty move partnerships

• Corporate relocations

If you have a lot of experience at moving something specific (like pianos for example) try to partner with companies who don’t offer that. Partnerships like this can help you stay busy over the slow season.

4. Supercharge your marketing 

This is a great time to focus on marketing. Use the downtime to learn as much as you can about marketing your company, particularly getting your head around the new world of AI search.

AI Search Optimization

AI tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Perplexity pull business recommendations based on:

• FAQ content

• Local authority

• Niche expertise

• Clear pricing pages

• Positive reviews

Start to build out a pool of content that is AI-friendly. You can create new content or go back through old blog posts and make sure they’re optimized for AI models.

Think about content like:

• FAQ pages (“How much does a move cost in your city?”)

• Hyper-local blogs (“Moving in Madison this winter? What to expect.”)

• Comparison pages (You vs other local movers)

• Clear pricing and transparent estimate pages

Get on top of traditional SEO

• Update your Google Business Profile

• Add photos weekly of your crew in action

• Collect (or at least try to) reviews from every move

• Make sure your website looks good on mobile

• Refresh old blog posts

• Claim your listings on directories (Yellow Pages, Yelp, Moving.com)

5. Promote winter deals

People love saving money so think about deals or discounts that could help get more customers:

• Winter discount (5–15% off weekday moves)

• “Book early for spring” deposits

• Bundle packing + moving at a reduced rate

• Offer junk removal or small-load pickups to fill the schedule

• Pop-up ads on your site for off-season specials

6. Maintain your equipment and tech

Many movers wait until Spring to discover their truck needs repairs. It’s much better to be ahead of the game and double check everything when things are slower.

• Service every truck

• Replace pads, straps, dollies, and tools

• Review insurance and licensing

• Audit your CRM or estimate software

• Build SOPs for dispatch, ops, and claims

7. Take a break

Burnout is real and summer is often brutal. Many owners never actually take a vacation so try to factor this in when it’s a little quieter. A rested team performs better, sells better, and delivers higher-quality customer service, without getting burnt out.

• Take a real break

• Give your team a long weekend

• Hold a team lunch or activity day out

• Reset goals for spring

Make the most of the slow season

The slow season doesn’t have to be bad news, especially when you treat it as an opportunity to get ahead. The movers who treat winter as a season for growth and improvement are the ones who stay booked when others are panicking.