The dynamics of daylight saving time change the way we live and do business. What are the true dynamics of summer time. It was to improve the efficiency of power supply and demand problems originally. Does it still work for that purpose? To some extent yes. But, not as much as you think. In fact, until people readjust a bit, it actually affects energy costs for those cities that burn coal. Some cities use fuels to light themselves. Nuclear power is better next to hydropower. Wind sounds great, but we haven’t perfected it and tax deduction scandal-mongers mocked what could have been great technology and environmentally sound energy. Solar, it can work better now than before due to knowledge of infrared and more efficient solar cells due to nanotechnology. Solar energy sounds good since it comes from the sun or from space, things that happened billions of years ago and are now coming to us in other spectrums as well.
Since the Earth spins at over 600 miles per hour and we have 4 time zones in the US, actually 6 if you count Alaska and Hawaii. Then every 600+ miles we need a new time zone. What, we almost have. Some cities end at the beginning of a time zone, while others at the end of a time zone, so they are already within an hour of each other. Some states like Arizona don’t change, so half the year they are in the Pacific and the other half are in line with their Northern or NAFTA neighbors. This can cause business problems due to scheduling and phone calls. Have you ever had trouble getting to New York only to find out there are five of you there and they all ran out at 4:59 your time? Happen.
The other issues that occur that you might not think about are grassroots campaigns by politicians stopping when daylight saving time starts. Why? Because people don’t get home from work until 5-5:30 and you can’t knock on their doors in the dark, it scares them. And you may only have an hour or so to knock on doors before dark. So the grassroots marketing of candidates and proposals hits the media and suddenly we’re flooded with ads on TV, the bid and ask price goes up, then more money is needed and more political favors are born. Amazing what a simple time change can do? When people go home, they turn on their televisions, and therefore the number of viewers is at its highest. The polls change as the ads start. They can no longer use door-to-door canvassing techniques, a favorite in local elections and small-town PACs. Probably because it works very well to get votes.
If you are at the end of a time zone like in Seattle, Portland or in Boise, Amarillo, Indianapolis, Knoxville, Louisville, it can be difficult for them. It gets dark very soon. If you are at the beginning of a time zone like in Nashville TN, Montgomery AL, Chicago IL, Cheyenne WY, Denver CO, Spokane WA, Vegas NV, you will have a distinct advantage if you are a brick and mortar retailer or service. business. More hours allow a company to work with more clients and easier working conditions. Men’s eyes are much better in the light than in the dark, and we innately do our work during the day. Darkness means the end of the day and time to eat. So, restaurants start getting crowds earlier, happy hours change. People arrive at different times at the start of daylight saving time as people adjust, and then even earlier once it gets closer to the shortest day of the year, while during the summer there are still people walking to dinner at 10 p.m. people also go out and start drinking earlier and therefore more drunk drivers earlier in the evening and much more drunk people on the last call due to the extra hour of kidney abuse. This requires more police, more jails and time in court. Also more fees for the country’s courts.
Now let’s talk a little more locally, what about the car wash business? Less traffic for customers after work during the week. What about a mobile service business? If you are not an early riser, you should adjust your sleep schedule by one hour and that way you will get up for work an hour earlier, eventually the time and light will change to be more relevant to the actual time of daylight and day than humans we are used to it. It would also be important to get some accounts and appointments early in the morning. If you live in a northern state and landscape or work with water then the water freezes and you need sun to heat it or wait until later. But remember it’s hotter now an hour earlier even though the gap is closing as the weather changes and it’s colder at night and takes longer to warm up. If you are in S. Carolina/Tennessee along the southern CA states side line then it is not a factor. 22 degrees is still workable if needed. If you are above the southernmost states, you may need to follow your winter plan more carefully. If you are a farmer or feed cattle, there are problems with water. Construction that uses water to mix with concrete has problems. Many businesses change dramatically, and if they don’t have a plan, they will lose profits, lay off workers, and suffer disruptions until they return to the new reality.
Daylight saving time is the start of shorter days, but you won’t notice it much for a while. It is time to think about the needs for greater efficiency. If you don’t pay attention it could easily cost you $60-100 a day if you are a small one employee business this can cause severe stress on marriage or family.
The Farmers Almanac calls for a midway winter with perhaps a Scientific American article noting above average ambient temperatures 5-6 degrees higher than normal, stating that global warming and inferred light increase atmospheric temperatures . Good for some businesses, bad for others. Last winter was good in the industry one of the lightest on record energy costs were not catastrophic although we did have spikes that could be felt in the northeast as many small business owners complained about costs of natural gas, although mainly due to the lack of new sources. Your competition may not be ready for Time Shift even though it comes every year with the same results, but they should be, maybe it’s time to win over new customers they can’t serve. You may notice some businesses, which are mobile, have additional generators for lighting, logo jackets, various safety items, and lighted clipboards. You may also notice signs at some businesses that do not light up in the dark while others do and some commercial vehicles with 3M reflective vinyl lettering, which can be seen in the dark due to reflectivity.
You may see mobile auto detailers with enclosed trailers or boxes to protect the engine and components from the weather, and recirculation hoses so you can leave the machine running all day. You’ll see contractors working on boxed vehicles and covering equipment in truck beds. Without the right scheduling strategy and market mix, these types of mobile businesses could see their gross revenues drop dramatically from their projected targets. But if these companies focus on those goals and tailor their customer list to align with their strategy, they can do just fine. The use of improved programming software is one way to increase efficiency. So the time changes really just mean that you are forced to do the same job in less time and therefore spend more quality time with your family. Be smart and follow a strategic plan. Let your competition falter and call clients back, explain your changes and tweaks to your schedule, try not to make excuses that it can’t be done and there is no time, clients won’t appreciate it as they themselves need better service as they find themselves with less. time in the day.
A small company will collect those accounts that its competitors failed to communicate and that the client perceives as a lack of good service. This is probably the best opportunity you will have all year to acquire new accounts from the competition. It’s not the time to buy more units or train new employees on the job, it’s the time to hone skills and win in the marketplace, be tough on service, be tough on the competition, and play to win. It is a time when the free market awards prizes for good service and strategy. You need to be ready before the time change with the employees and the items you need to stay on top of your customers. Remember that your competition is now dealing with price per gallon issues and trying to remain efficient with delivery vehicles and/or service vehicles and when they are hit hardest by shorter work days your stress level reaches its peak. peak, you can separate the prepared from the poorly prepared. the winners and the losers.
One strategy for small service businesses is to hold prices until November 15 and let the competition drive you to your best customers due to poor service, shorter days, price hikes, and lack of proper scheduling. Letting the internet help you drive sales could be another approach, as it reduces contact time. In fact, you will find that some customers prefer this type of contact. This will leave you more time with those who want more personal contact.
Daylight saving time can poke a hole in your competition schedule just when your costs are higher due to all of the above things. Where many people will complain about daylight saving time, use it to your advantage.
