Surviving and thriving when business is slow

It doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from or what industry your in, you’re not immune from the financial rollercoaster that comes with owning a business. Navigating through the ups and downs can be tough, especially when the road ahead isn’t clear and who knows if you will be here this time next year? We’ve all heard of business plans, but what’s the plan when there’s no business coming in? What do you do then?

For a start, turn that frown upside down, there’s no need to panic!
You have an opportunity at your feet, the chance to truly invest a lot more time into your business by taking a step back and assessing what tweaks you can make to try and make it work!

Think about what you desire most

You will never be able to stay motivated if you have no idea what you want to work towards. Maybe you want to retire and live  broad at 50 or be mortgage free 10 years earlier than planned. Without desire you have no true motivation so all of your efforts are pointless, you may as well be faking it! Knowing what it is you truly desire, will give you the motivation to keep moving forward, even when times are hard.

Make sure you check your check points

Do you want to be a millionaire in 15 years? Or you want to own a number of stores across the country? I’m pretty sure as a business owner, you will have the ultimate goal in mind. Of course there’s nothing wrong with setting goals you want to achieve x amount of years down the line, but don’t lose focus during times when the gap between business and results is bigger than usual. Keep busy and fill in those gaps in between by making checkpoint goals that are attainable and achievable.

Hey big spender

When going through a dry patch of business the last thing you want to do is fritter money away like it’s going out of fashion. That’s not the way to go. Instead why not make a few cutbacks where it matters? Don’t book up for that 3 week carribean cruise you do every year (I wish!), and do a cheaper holiday elsewhere? Or you could cut it out completely to be honest, sorry to sound too harsh! Stop doing your weekly shop at Marks and Spencers for a while and compromise with a cheaper alternative. Whatever your financial situation, you could always benefit from spending less, at times when you need it the most and saving it at times when you have it the most.

Think positive, think success

There’s nothing quite like negativity to bulldoze any hope or positivity you have. Stop attending your own little pity party. The secret is, there is no secret – just simply think positive. Easier than it sounds right? Especially when you don’t know how you’re ever going to get out of the rut. Change your question of certainty into a question of when. So it’s not whether or not you’re getting out of the rut, it’s a matter of when you will. Then work on doing what it takes to achieve it when you said you were going to. There you have it, that’s a start! Rid your mind, body and soul of negative thoughts and energy and give positivity the chance to flow out of every orifice of you and your business. No one likes a negative Nora, but positivity is infectious!

Clients are important and not just the present

Remember the time you worked with so and so? They were fantastic to work with, they really enjoyed your services and said that they would definitely recommend you should anyone they know to be in need of said services. That was quite a while ago now, do you find yourself wondering how they are doing? Don’t underestimate the value of your past clients, they may be the key to your business picking up when your going through a rough patch. So don’t hesitate to get in touch, an email or a text is all it takes and who knows? You could have reconnected at just the right time! They could surprise you with a job offer you’ve been waiting for!

Dust your online presence and give it a polish

It’s very much time consuming trying to keep your online presence up to date especially when you’re busy. What better time to update your social media, blogs and websites when time is all you have a lot of right now? Make a schedule of all your content marketing you can post a few months in advance and get cracking on planning all of your social updates and blog writing. Keep your business visible and draw in potential clients by maintaining a strong marketing strategy.

Surround yourself with the right people

We’re no strangers to the fact that committing yourself to a business and putting in more hours than there is in the day can make you feel lonely and isolated – even on the good days! Don’t forget the importance of surrounding yourself with the right people. The people who have seen you at your best and worst, the people who love you unconditionally and who always have your best interests at heart. Nothing makes you feel better and uplifted then a well needed catch up with your best friend or a phone call with a loved one when things just feel too much. They are the best kind of support to have, will uplift you through hard times and give you the motivation to keep on going. Hold them tight and don’t let go!

Success isn’t easy and the harsh reality is that it takes a lot of hard work, time and patience to experience even a taste. It comes and goes like night and day which can be a lot to handle for any business owner. Make sure you always have a plan in place for your business not just for when the goings good but for the darker days as well. Knowing your approach to any situation good or bad will give you the advantage of always being one step ahead. It’s all about the planning people!

Remember why you are doing this in the first place and keep on going!

At the end of a dark night is always a light morning.

You may feel like you’ve waited so long for the sun to shine again,

But keep hold of those sunglasses a little longer…You might just need them sooner than you think 🙂