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Can we be a little vulnerable? We are in a slow business season right now. Business owners in certain industries with seasons (photographers, videographers, etc.) are used to the inconsistency, but we offer our services year-round, so this is a change for us.
We didn’t see a decrease during the summer months last year, but we have this year. We’ve had fewer inquiries and bookings. It inspired us to look at trends to figure out why this decrease in business is happening. Here are some things we noticed:
- Election years: Election years make everyone nervous about the future state of the economy and their business.
- Summer: People are busy taking vacations and spending time with their families.
- Inflation: People are feeling the pinch of inflation right now.
When you get to that point in your business and don’t have a plan on how to navigate it, it can be really scary. We’ve been brainstorming how to fill the gaps we’re seeing (low ticket offers, cutting expenses, etc.)
There are so many articles about taking time to work on your business, update systems and processes, market yourself… all the things you never have time to do (unless you’re really good about scheduling CEO days). Those are great tips, but the reality is that when you are in a slow season as an entrepreneur, that usually causes some panic. It’s hard to focus on your business when you feel the need to hustle to get more clients.
So what can we do when we’re in a slow business season?
11 Things To Do When Business is Slow
These are some things we’ve been focusing on since our normal SEO and branding projects have been a little slow.
Educate
We first started offering webinars as a lead-in for SEO on Tap. It was SO fun to interact with people live and share some free knowledge. Now, we’re dipping our toes into paid webinars. The SEO Lab is our first one! It’s a $47 in-depth training that gives you an end-of-year action plan for your SEO.
Network
We have been loving hosting local community events. It’s so fun to meet local entrepreneurs to chat and connect. Schedule coffee dates and happy hours with people (virtually or in person) to meet new people. Get out of your comfort zone and go to community events. Talk to people without being salesy – just focus on making connections! We talked to Melissa about this in episode #86.
Hot Leads First
Focus on nurturing relationships with your current clients and customers. If you’re wrapping up a project, offer other relevant services you offer that align with what they’re trying to achieve in their business. Positive client experiences result in reviews and referrals. We get tons of referrals from current or past clients and we have earned a lot of business that way. Amanda shared other ways to source new leads in episode #70.
Create Automation
Creating automation can be beneficial during this slow business season. Think about steps in your process that feel clunky or time-consuming. Even if you aren’t booking more clients, you have a chance to grow your audience. That can feel just as successful as booking a new client. You’re nurturing and growing your audience that could turn into clients later on.
Focus on Content Creation
We are really focusing on content creation right now. Since we have some extra time, we’re batching blogs, podcast episodes, social posts, freebies, and emails. We’re about to do more content, too. Sometimes when it’s really busy, we can only get out one social post a week. In a slow business season, we can do more, which again, grows our audience.
Partnerships
Partner up with a business friend to see if you can share audiences and create something together. We’ve done this before with Sara at BTL Copy and not only was it super fun, but we were introduced to a new audience and so was she! These are some ideas for partnerships:
- Email swaps
- Podcast swaps
- Guest blog
- Joint webinar
Listen to your audience
Your audience can give you tons of valuable feedback and ideas. Run surveys and see what people need from you right now. What’s holding them back from buying or working with you? What do people want from you for content?
Run a Sale or a Promotion
We’re always hesitant about this and lessening the value of your offerings, but depending on the survey from your audience… This could be a short-term solution, especially if it’s around Black Friday!
Explore a new revenue stream
This is what we’re focusing on right now! Is there a new revenue stream you’ve wanted to explore? Now is a great time to try something new. Here are some ideas:
- Memberships
- A course
- An e-book
- A digital offer
- A template
Reflection and Alignment
Take some time to understand what’s working and what isn’t. Do your packages align with what your audience is struggling with? Are you reaching the right people? Reflect and realign to meet the needs of your audience.
Organize your finances
Getting clear on your finances can give you some confidence during this time. See what you can cut back on to lessen the stress and how long you can survive in a slow business season. We highly recommend Val’s finance course to help you organize, understand, and plan your business finances. Get $350 off the course with code: CICPodcast.
A slow business season won’t last forever! Time advantage of your extra time to do things you’ve been putting off or to grow your audience. This slow business season could end up being a blessing!
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Abbey Oslin and Courtney Petersen are Minnesota-based marketing experts, educators, and co-founders of boutique marketing agency Duo Collective, which specializes in SEO, social media strategy, and branding for small business owners and creative entrepreneurs. To learn more about Duo Collective, or to inquire about working with our team, head over to www.duocollective.com.
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