An IT services business's year: what to do month by month
The year of an IT services business follows the rhythm of its clients: budgets early in the year, fiscal year-end, summer holidays, then back-to-school. This calendar links each period to what happens at clients and what needs doing. Neo, the Orvel agent, prepares reminders and follow-ups; your team decides and intervenes.
January and February: budgets and renewals
Many companies review their budgets early in the year, and support contracts that are about to expire are discussed at that time. This is the ideal period to look at your whole portfolio of contracts.
The recommended action is to review the contracts due for renewal in the next three months and offer each client a check-in. Neo helps with the renewals table for the next 90 days, which shows each contract's date and service level. At the Renewal stage, he prepares the proposal for your account manager, and the email to the client offers to review their needs and the service level that suits them for the next period.
- List the contracts expiring in the next three months.
- Check each client's service level before the call.
- Schedule a check-in with each client concerned.
November to March: your clients' fiscal year-end
The end of your clients' fiscal year (often December or March, depending on the company) is a time when they buy equipment and plan their projects. This period overlaps with budget season: the window is wide and deserves regular follow-up.
The action is to follow up on pending quotes and offer a diagnostic to clients whose equipment is aging. Neo follows up on each quote about three days after it is sent, without pressure, then creates a task if ten days go by without an answer: call back or close the file. Opportunities noted during support (workstations to replace, email security, cloud) are then a good starting point for a conversation, and the offer only goes out according to your rules and with an unsubscribe link.
- Reread quotes without a reply and decide whether to call back or close them.
- Review the add-on opportunities noted in the files.
- Offer a diagnostic to clients whose equipment is aging.
June to August: summer holidays
Teams are reduced and clients go on vacation: updates and migrations are planned before or after. An improvised intervention at the wrong time can land with nobody there to receive it.
The action is to plan interventions in advance and decide who covers on-call duty. Neo keeps sorting requests: he checks the contract, opens the ticket and alerts the on-call technician. He makes no diagnosis, so the quality of coverage depends on the person you name. Also think about the backup and update check reminders, which come back after 90 days without a check.
- Set the on-call schedule before the first absences.
- Plan updates and migrations before or after the holidays.
- Tell clients the dates of reduced coverage.
August and September: back-to-school
Back-to-school is when many companies restart their projects and when schools and organizations review their tools. It is often when old conversations resume.
The action is a campaign to pending quotes and past project clients. Neo prepares the messages from your templates; your team chooses the list and validates the content. Messages go only to consenting people, with a way to unsubscribe.
- Pick up quotes left pending since the summer.
- Contact past project clients.
- Approve the campaign message before sending.
April, May and October: groundwork
The sources attach no particular seasonal reminder to these months, which makes them good periods for groundwork, as a general matter. Use them to tidy your files: up-to-date environment summary, exact service level, renewal date entered, technical contact at the client.
Neo relies on these fields to trigger his reminders: without a renewal date or a last backup check date, he cannot alert at the right time. Regular cleanup therefore makes everything else more reliable.
- Check that every client has a renewal date.
- Update the date of the last backup check.
- Confirm each client's technical contact.
Indicators to track all year
Whatever the season, five indicators help you stay on course: open requests, quote response rate, pending quotes, upcoming renewals and clients to check (last backup check more than 90 days ago). They describe the state of your portfolio and promise nothing about results.
This calendar is a practical guide, not legal advice. For the rules that frame your messages and your clients' information, consult your legal adviser.
Budgets early in the year, fiscal year-end, summer holidays and back-to-school: each period has its action. Neo keeps the reminders current, and your team keeps the relationship with clients.
General information, not legal advice. Check with your professional order or the official source.
Questions
When should I review contracts due for renewal?
Early in the year, in January and February, when many companies review their budgets. Review the contracts expiring in the next three months and offer each client a check-in.
What should I do during the summer holidays?
Plan updates and migrations in advance, and decide who covers on-call duty. Neo keeps sorting requests and alerting the on-call technician.
Why follow up on quotes in the fall and at year-end?
Because back-to-school and your clients' fiscal year-end are times when they restart projects, buy equipment and plan. Neo follows up without pressure, and your team decides what happens next.
More guides for this trade
Let's talk for 15 minutes?
A Zenitech expert will call you back within 24 hours to see what Orvel can do in your day. No obligation.