How to Respond to Slow Season as an Entrepreneur

Do you freak out when your calendar is empty?

Slow season can be a really scary thing for entrepreneurs. We don't get paid time off, and we probably rely on consistent customers in order to pay our bills each month. I'm here to share some ways that we, as entrepreneurs, can positively and productively respond to times of uncertainty.

Your business does not have to stop when things are slow. Your business can actually see incredibly more growth in slow seasons than when things are booming.

Let me explain...

I used to be afraid of slow season. I used to think that a full calendar meant success. It took me years and years to realize that slow season can actually be such a beautiful thing. So beautiful, in fact, that I started scheduling myself a slow season. Yes, I intentionally turned away business for months in order to have this sacred time. It probably sounds crazy, until I tell you that by doing that, I took my brand from a 5 figure photography business, to a multi-business, multi-six-figure brand.

When my calendar was packed, sure I was making a consistent income, but while everyone else saw "success", I felt burnout and saw things slipping through the cracks.

I was spending all of my time just staying caught up serving other people or hitting deadlines. I was never allowing myself time to work on my big picture goals. AKA, my business was never really moving forward. It was staying busy, but it was not progressing or scaling in the way that I wanted it to. When I noticed my goals being neglected and busy-work taking over, I realized it was time to make a change.

It's funny because my scheduled "slow season" turns out to be busier than my busy season, but it's different. It's busy in a way that I am creating huge goals and working every day to achieve them. I'm scaling, building a team, creating products and resources, multiplying revenue streams and passive income, dreaming, streamlining, and enhancing. For the first time, I'm not just scrambling to stay caught up, I'm working on things that I want to work on.

Here are some practical examples of how you can use slow season in a productive way:

• update your pricing guides
• catch up on blogging
• work on a creative project to regain inspiration
• invest in education / take an online course
• implement a new software
• send clients a card or gift
• update your website / portfolio
• plan and schedule content for the month
• organize your office
• organize your computer / digital files
• streamline your systems
• engage with your followers
• create or update templates 
• clean out your inbox
• start a new project
• create a digital product or online course
• explore different revenue streams
• enhance your client experience / find ways to add value to what you offer
• client client resources (outfit guide, bridal guide, timeline template, etc.)
• practice self care
• spend time with loved ones
• check in with clients

These would all be near impossible to achieve if you were booked every weekend. Despite how uncertain having an empty calendar may be, there is so much beauty and so much value to having time off to invest in yourself, your relationships, and your business.

What has been on your to do list that's been neglected for months or years? What goals have you not been able to get to because your calendar has been so full? How can you use this time to work on those big things and get your business to a place that you've been dreaming of?

The time is now. Take advantage and get after whatever it is you've been dreaming of!