Over 3,500 ★★★★★ Successful Clients Since 2014
Renowned for Multiplying Your Revenue
Over a Decade Creating Elevated Web Designs
Honored as Showit Designer of the Year 🏆

We are so excited to introduce Episode 005 of With Grace and Gold: The Podcast – a business education podcast for small business owners and entrepreneurs. With Grace and Gold: The Podcast features 5-minute episodes with clear, actionable steps to guide you toward successful small business ownership. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Anchor, Spotify, or elsewhere!

10 Things to Do When Business is Slow

In small business, it can be natural to experience an ebb and flow. Maybe you’re a wedding professional who has busier seasons in summer and fall and a slower season in winter. Or, maybe after several years in business, you’ve noticed consistent peaks and valleys in your sales from one month to another. 

At With Grace and Gold, we believe the most important thing to do in your small business is to be proactive all year long so that you can create as much consistency in your small business as possible — to build systems into your business so you’re continuously uplifting key areas of your business. That way, whether you’re in a busy season or a slow season you can rely on a foundation to earn more consistent revenue all year long. Today, we’re excited to share 10 things to do when business is slow!

  1. First, ask yourself what is going well and what can be improved upon. Combing back through your business, your processes, and your client experience can help you to evaluate what changes need to be made in your business. Strengthen your business from the inside out and solidify your processes. That way, when your busy season does arrive, you can serve your clients using tried-and-true process aligned with the elevated client experience you hope to provide.
  2. Ask past clients for feedback or testimonials. Reach out to your past clients to ask for their feedback about their experience while working with you. When you do, you can learn more about what is going well and what can be improved upon in your business. Furthermore, you may even be able to gather really powerful testimonials from your past clients for your website and marketing.
  3. Revisit your brand, web design, and copywriting. For many business owners, the foundation of their brand, web design, and copywriting can be overlooked in busier seasons. Maybe your business has changed and evolved — and you’re ready to raise your prices and book a different type of client than before. Maybe your portfolio is out-of-date and doesn’t exactly reflect the work you’re capable of doing. By revisiting your brand, web design, and copywriting you can be sure every area of your online home is reflective of your current skills and expertise — and connecting you with your Ideal Client more seamlessly.
  4. Get ahead on blog posts. In Episode 3, we talked about how important and impactful blogging can be. When business is slow, get ahead on your blog posts, and schedule them out so at least one blog post is shared every week. Not only can content creation boost your Search Engine Optimization, but sharing your blog posts on social media every week is another great way to connect with your audience and bring your audience to your website to get to know you and your work. 
  5. Pursue education. As much as we love working in our businesses, it’s just as important — if not more important — to work on our businesses. Maybe there’s a course you’ve been wanting to take, a book you’ve been wanting to read, or a conference you’ve been wanting to attend. Plan for learning and personal and professional growth.
  6. Apply to be a conference speaker. Along those same lines, maybe you want to offer more education through your business. Use your slow season to apply to be a conference speaker. Being a speaker is not only an opportunity to serve people well through your business, but it can also be an opportunity to connect with and experience community with fellow business owners.
  7. Brainstorm passive income opportunities. In a future episode, we’ll be discussing myths and truths about passive income and the role it should play — or shouldn’t play — in your small business. Your slow season can be an opportunity to brainstorm passive income opportunities — such as offering digital products, offering a course, or offering unique ways for your audience to benefit from your expertise.
  8. Join a mastermind group. Mastermind groups are an amazing way to connect with fellow business owners in a more intimate way. Whether you’re seeking advice or giving advice, a mastermind group can expose you to new ideas, strategies, or approaches to running your small business. A mastermind group can encourage you, support you, and provide important insights about your business.
  9. Find a mentor. If a small-group mastermind isn’t for you, use the slow season to find a mentor or hire a business consultant. Does a business owner you look up to offer business consulting? Book their services, and learn as much as you can from the businesses and business owners you love and look up to.
  10. Using everything you learn, create a completely new marketing plan. Planning is essential to running a successful small business, and sometimes this means thinking ahead about the months or year ahead. What platforms will you use to market your business? What is your strategy for each platform? What are your goals? How often will you post? Marketing your business should happen all year long — not just when business is slow. 

Today we explored 10 things you can do when business is slow — 10 things to help you learn, grow, elevate key areas of your business, and therefore, grow your business. Which of these 10 things will you do in the months or year ahead? 

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!

About Brand It, Build It Podcast, Hosted by Kelly Zugay

Hosted by Kelly Zugay, co-founder of With Grace and Gold, The Brand It, Build It Podcast is a leading small business marketing podcast for small business owners, creatives, founders and entrepreneurs. Enjoy weekly, actionable episodes to build a successful, sustainable small business from the inside out.

Previous Blog Post
Next Blog Post

Elevate your business with purpose using With Grace and Gold's step-by-step guide to raising your prices confidently. Receive the Guide

Free Guide to Raising Your Prices

Free Guide

Confidently

Become familiar with Showit using an expertly-created, completely-customizable Showit template by With Grace and Gold. Download

Free Showit Template by

Free Showit Template

With Grace and Gold

Does your brand communicate luxury? Take our assessment and create a luxury brand for your business. Receive the Guide

How to Create a Luxury Brand

Free Guide

for Your Business

Over nearly a decade, With Grace and Gold has curated more than 400 expertly-composed blog posts. Grow your small business with purpose, strategy, and joy.

Explore 400+ 

Search With Grace and Gold

Educational Blog Posts

Our step-by-step guide to raising your prices confidently, elevating your business, and beginning a season of purpose in your creative business:

Raise Your Prices

Grow Your BUsiness

Confidently

Hire With Grace and Gold to expertly customize your chosen Showit website template. Launch your beautiful, purpose-driven new website quickly and seamlessly.

Showit Template Customization

Shop With Grace and Gold's collection of expertly-designed, completely customizable Showit website templates — for do-it-yourself web design.

Showit Website Templates

Hire With Grace and Gold for Custom Brand and Web Design — an award-winning design experience for creative founders ready for meaningful growth.

Custom Brand and Web Design

Offerings so carefully-crafted, you never have to wonder what’s coming next — but instead, simply delight in what unfolds.

How We'll Help You Grow Your Business

How can we serve you?

purpose-driven brand and web design.
Multiply your revenue and reach with purpose-driven brand and web design.

Award-Winning, Luxury Brand and Web Design Since 2014