The summer slump is this bizarre time of the year for entrepreneurs. Out of nowhere, business becomes slow. Maybe it’s the sunshine beckoning people to spend less time in fluorescently lit office cubicles drumming up new business and more time on the water. Maybe it’s the association from childhood that summer equates vacation and not work. Maybe it’s just the nature of your business that proceedings slowdown in the summer.
Whatever the reason, you sit smack dab in the middle of the summer slump. When business is slow, you can sit back and catch your breath right?
Wrong!
Now is the time to attack strategic projects. Gain an edge on your competition and decrease your workload in future months when work picks back up. Think of this time as the calm before the storm. Do what you can to get your ship in shape and make your business better suited to weather the upcoming chaos. After all, a peaceful slump can only last so long. Before you know it, the madness will descend again. And you’ll be glad you tackled the following projects.
Update Your Brand’s Digital Presence
Your online presence is often the first impression for potential new customers. Your website, blog, and social media pages can always use some freshening up. Tighten up your website copy to make the text as engaging as possible. Add new testimonials. Upload more engaging product photos. Make sure all your hyperlinks work and each blog post is SEO optimized. These little tweaks help mold a solid impression in the mind of your target audience.
Tackle Your Unorganized Filing System
Organization is a business owner’s best friend. It’s all too easy to stockpile a mishmash of files and documents scattered all over your computer and desk. Find a system that works for you and, once and for all, implement it. The few hours or days it takes to really organize everything will save you so much time down the road.
As you organize, you can also use this time for simple in-house upkeep. Update all your contact information records, get your finances in order for tax season, and so on.
Cultivate Customer Loyalty
In today’s world of mass emails and impersonalized shipping, a little customer love goes a long way. Surprise your current customers to strengthen your relationship and build loyalty. Send a simple free gift, like a coffee gift card or a box of chocolates. Bonus points if you can tie it to your brand (like a bag of dog treats sent by a veterinarian’s office).
Another way to foster customer loyalty is with a customer survey. People love sharing their opinion and really love feeling like their opinion matters. Send a short (five minutes or less) survey to your clients. Show you value their voice (and gain valuable insight on your target audience along the way).
Test Out New Tools
The advantage of new tools is they can save you time and revolutionize how you do business. The disadvantage of new tools is they often take time to research, test out, and make a decision to implement or not. When your business is busy, you struggle justifying the time it takes to try out different options.
A summer slump is the perfect time to explore tools, like free ones for building your virtual assistant team.
Find Areas to Work Smarter, Not Harder
Efficiency is the name of the game! Take a good hard look at how you manage your employees. Maybe you are not fully taking advantage of your virtual assistant. Maybe your employees could perform significantly better with some new training. Maybe you can shake up how you approach delegation. Pinpoint some areas to evaluate and see if you can implement a shift to work smarter and not harder.
Consider Expansion Options
During a lull is a great time to dream big. Can your company handle some more clients? Can you forge new partnerships? Can you bring on a new staff member, like a virtual assistant, to help you expand? Take some time to reflect on the status quo and where your company is headed. Steer your ship onto a new path of conquering new worlds. Set a new goal and create an action plan to achieve it.
The summer slump is a perfect opportunity for entrepreneur’s bold enough to take advantage of it. At Alpine Small Business Solution, we know the ins and outs of business management. Reach out for a free consultation to see if our strategy and implementation program is right for you!