November 11, 2021

21: 6 things you should be doing during your slow season

Episode #21 : Build The Business Podcast
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Today we’re going to be talking about what you need to be doing during the slow times in your business. I don’t know about you, but as a wedding pro, November and December really start to dry up for me. These are historically slowest months.

Now, this could be the time where I put my feet up. I could coast-in the rest of the year, like so many others in our industry do. I get it, we are coming off a crazy season and we’re freaking tired. So by all my means, put those feet up… but while you’re doing it, I want you to save some time to plan, strategize and set yourself up for success come January.

Because in January, we’re coming out of the gate to a whole bunch of newly engaged couples. And what you do NOW will help ensure that you’re ready for them.

This is the time where we get ahead. We are going to be building the foundation that we need to thrive in 2022. Like I said, November and December used to be my worst months, and I used to have a ton of anxiety during this time because I wasn’t bringing revenue in and I really wasn’t sure of what I should be doing. I was just kind of pacing trying to fill time and grasp at small jobs to keep afloat.

Now, they are my secret weapons. This is the time where we get ahead. These are the months where I run ahead of the pack… because they all sat down! I see business owners coast in the end of the year for two reasons:

#1 – They hit their yearly goals early and they’re like great! Time to put my feet up, relax, I did it.

Or #2 – They fell short of those goals and they’re just like, eh. This slow time is like running uphill trying to get sales. There’s no use in trying right now… I’ll hit the ground running in January.

Let me tell you a little story. For years, I thought during the slow times, I needed to be doing things that bring in revenue. I would get nervous and would fill that time with little hits of revenue. Holiday cards, branding jobs, birthday invitations. And in reality what it was doing was taking away the precious time I needed to build my business.

Anything that’s not aligned with your goals for the year, has to be a no.

If you feel like you’re running around without a direction, I want you to hear me. Any min that you spend trying to chase something else, is a min you’re not spending building the business that you want. If I wanted a wedding business, I had to stop creating holiday cards in November. Because what does that do for you? It leaves you with a ton of unsold holiday cards, and a ton of wasted time that you needed.

You trust yourself enough to know that you do not need filler. You need to go all in on the business that you want. Our time is not infinite, especially if you’re a solopreneur listening to this. You need to be spending that time intentionally.

So, I’m going to dive into 6 things I want you to be doing during your slow season. These are the things that didn’t always bring me in the big bucks, but set up the foundation for me to grow my business. Let’s dive in…

#1 Take inventory of your goals
#2 Automate
#3 Update your portfolio
#4 Take a look at your brand
#5 Gather Reviews
#6 Invest in Yourself

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So, my friends, that wraps it up. And you thought these next two months we’re going to be slow? I hope the tips I mentioned today are things that you feel excited about. You don’t have to do them all, in fact, I don’t want you to. I want you to take what resonated and go all in. So that come January, you’re ready to hit the ground running. How does that sound? Shoot me a DM at MsLindsayWilliams and tell me what you’re going to focus on as we close out this year. I LOVE talking about this stuff.