In small business, it’s natural to experience an ebb and flow. Certain seasons are busy, while others are slow. The most important thing to do is to be proactive so that you can create as much consistency in your business as possible! Today, we’re excited to share 10 things to do when business is slow!

10 Things to Do When Business is Slow

1. Get in touch with past clients: Getting in touch with past clients is not only kind, but strategic! Be genuine about your interaction with them. Ask them how they are doing. What has been going on since you worked with them? This puts you at the front of past clients’ thoughts, which could result in future bookings or referrals from them! Plus, while you are at it…
2. Ask past clients for testimonials: Do you have a solid list of testimonials to represent your work well? We love receiving testimonials from past Clients, because not only are they a great feature to have on your website, they can be a great marketing tool as well! Sharing these testimonials across your social media channels could be the difference between booking someone or not!
3. Get ahead on blog posts: If you are new around here, you’ll learn quickly that we love blogging for our business! It’s one of our most effective marketing tools, because it lets potential Clients know our expertise, where our strengths are, and what we can do for them.  When business is slow, get ahead on your blog posts, and schedule them out! Take extra time on each one to ensure that they are doing your business a favor!
4. Educate yourself: As business owners, we can often become so involved in our business, that we forget to take the time to further our education when it comes to running a business! Making investments in books, eCourses, or webinars could be the exact thing your business needs to grow!
5. Host a giveaway: And promote it like crazy! Sometimes business is slow…because we just don’t have the following that we need to get Clients! By offering a giveaway, you can get people to enter by following your social media handles, filling out an application, or sharing your business with others! The sky is the limit when it comes to what you give away, but the slow season is the best time to do this!
6. Organize your computer: When was the last time you did this? A huge key to being a successful entrepreneur, is being an organized entrepreneur. Staying on top of your computer files allows you to have more time for investing in your business or with your clients! The best time to do this is when business is slow, because as soon as it starts picking up, it’s easy to not have time for this!
7. Clean out your Inbox: The dreaded Inbox…it’s time you clean it out! So many of us subscribe to anything and everything. If you haven’t read a certain newsletter in more than 6 months…it’s time to hit that ‘unsubscribe’ button! Delete old emails you don’t need anymore, and clean your Inbox until it’s organized.
8. Join an Online Community: And make connections! One of the best — and free — ways to market your business, is by networking and connecting with others online.
9. Seek Professional Guidance: Sometimes, all we need is a little direction! One of the biggest misconceptions of ‘slow periods’ is that you should stop investing in your business. If things aren’t working, you have to find a way to fix it, and seeking a professional resource can be super powerful — and bring in even more income for your business!
10. Create a Marketing Plan: And think ahead! Planning is essential to running a successful small business, and sometimes this means thinking ahead several months — or even a year!  Map out your coming months. What will you be marketing? How will you be doing it? When do you need to start? What will you need to market it? By being prepared, you won’t miss out on key opportunities to market your business, just because you ran out of time!

Since 2014, With Grace and Gold has provided brand and web design for creative small business owners. Hire With Grace and Gold or shop With Grace and Gold’s pre-made designs and Showit website templates – and come away with an elevated brand and web design for your small business!