Using Slow Seasons to Work on Your Business

Navigating on and off seasons as a business owner presents enough challenges, let alone trying to navigate during a global crisis.  Just how large of an economic impact COVID-19 will have on our business and yours - only time will tell. For some, living amongst such widespread panic is enough to paralyze even the most avid business person. For others, this is the time to take a deep dive into their business; to reassess what isn’t working; to work not just in the business, but on it.

Photo Southern Lens Photography for Flourish Collaborative

Should you have the time and space to work proactively, these are some ways you can do your business some good:

1. Weed Through Recurring Costs and Subscription Services

Having an eye on your numbers during any period - fast or slow - is important, yes. But one group of expenses that can be misleading in their impact is recurring costs. Subscription services to things like stock photo websites, software applications, online schedulers, and other misc. business services seem harmless at a mere $9.99/mo, until you do the annual math.

2. Take Your Trusted Peers Through a Website Audit

Does your website function as well as you think it does? A slow season is a great time to ask your trusted peers to walk through the various user journeys of your website. A few things to consider:

How many clicks does it take to submit a contact form?
What is a user’s first impression of your business?
Is your best work / skillset being showcased?
Does your business appear larger or smaller than it actually is?
How cohesive is your web presence with your social media presence?

You could also ask them to walk through the various user journeys of a website, such as:

Submitting a contact form.
Purchasing an item.
Signing up for a newsletter.
Returning a product.
Finding more about your team.
Viewing a portfolio piece.
Commenting on a blog post.
Sharing your content to Pinterest.
Finding your Instagram.

3. Solicit Positive Google Reviews

In an ideal world, the end of a project or transaction would prompt a request for an online review from your client or customer. But if you have some catching up to do, now is a great time to be transparent and request a review in a personable way. During slow periods that involve natural events or a crisis, it’s best if these requests come from the owner of the company. Begin by showing awareness of the situation and being truthful in your appreciation of their business over the years. Ask them to spare just a few moments to make a huge impact on a business they support, followed by a direct Google Review request link. You’ll receive a much higher response rate this way than sending a blanket request.

Photo Southern Lens Photography for Flourish Collaborative

4. Redefine Your Brand Beliefs and Team Ethos

‘Nothing like a global pandemic to have you reassessing what is most important to you and your team. Having time to discuss and reflect during a slow period is a great way to realign your brand messaging with what matters most. Hire a brand strategist during this time to help you extract your beliefs, core values, and team ethos so that your brand can communicate succinctly to your target demographic moving forward.

5. Create for the Sake of Creating

Whether you offer a service or product, the work you do is likely determined by a client or demand. When was the last time you created just to create? Dedicate time out of your day to dream. You could use a medium very different than your usual (graphic pencils for graphic designers, collage for product designers), or use a creative brief generator for unique design prompts. Who knows - the work you produce could spark a new product offering or prospective client.


How are you focusing on your business during this time? We’d love to hear some ways in which you’re staying afloat and being proactive in the comments!