9 Things To Do When You Have Down Time In Your Business
9 things to do when you have down time in your business
Slow seasons - we all have them at one point or another… but what do we actually DO with them? Don’t get me wrong, taking a well-deserved break is a requirement in my book, but when my slow season lasts for months, not weeks, I get restless and a little anxious if I’m honest. That’s why I started making the most of my slower seasons and down times by setting my business up for success, ready to hit the ground sprinting when the down time ends. Here are X things I do during my slow season to set my business up for success when the downtime ends.
plan a marketing strategy
The first thing I do when I have some downtime is to plan my marketing strategy. Whether I’m planning for a month, a quarter, or a year depends on the length of my downtime, but personally I love to come up with a flexible marketing strategy for the year. From when I will be launching certain courses and programs, to events, to vacations - having a clear strategy in mind sets me up for a strong start after the slow season.
sales funnel review
Downtimes are perfect times for me to reevaluate my sales funnel to see what’s working and what isn’t. I check my numbers and my conversions, seeing where people drop off, how I can improve my funnel, and make any adjustments to it based on my marketing strategy.
branding pictures
This is a big one for me. I let not having any pictures of me stop me from posting on social media for months at a time. Not anymore. Anytime I have a slow season in my business, I take as MANY pictures of myself as I can. I typically set aside one day a week for the entire duration of the slow season to take my own pictures. I set my camera up on a tripod, use my interval timer to snap pictures while I move around, change my outfit every few pictures and boom! I’ve just created an entire year’s worth of content by the end of the slow period.
social content
After I know what I’m marketing for throughout the year and have my pictures, I can easily then map out what my social content will look like for the year and even go ahead and get some of it scheduled! This is what keeps me sane during the busy seasons!
email marketing
In case you haven’t heard - email marketing is still an amazing way to connect with your followers and serve, serve, serve them to the point where they are ready to buy from you...but for some people, it can be daunting. That’s why this is the perfect time to focus on getting a system in place. Find a great email provider (I love mailerlite but you do you, boo) and start getting stuff set up! I recommend setting up: templates for different emails you want to send regularly to your list, a nurture series for when someone joins your list, and get a month’s worth of emails scheduled! That way you can serve your audience without having to be IN your email every day.
blogging
Down times in my business mean one thing: content creation...and one big thing to focus on is blog posts. Why? Because I love to repurpose my blog posts into all of my other content. They are basically the source for the other content I create. I can turn one blog post into: a podcast or two, multiple Facebook LIVES, multiple social posts, 2 or 3 emails, and even an ad or two. Creating your blogs first as the base for all your other content makes everything SO easy. So I take the time during this slower season to plan, write, and schedule a bulk of blog posts, making my life easier during the busy season.
website updates
Most people’s most hated business task, well beside tax time, would be updating your website. Let’s be real though, there are some times during slow seasons where we’re bored enough that doing ANYTHING, even updating our websites, is better than nothing. So take an hour or two to go though your site and update images, manage your products and services, update the copy on your website, fix broken links, and clean up any unused pages.
seo updates
When was the last time you updated your SEO keywords or even thought about them? This is the time where I really sink into my keywords, updating them throughout my website and even getting strategic with the ones I choose to use (PS: did you know you can use these same SEO keywords on Pinterest? )
My favorite app to scroll on, yet I always forget to actually be POSTING on here. The slow season is when I finally remember to make sure my Pinterest is up to date and ready to serve my clients (yeah that’s right - it’s not a place to just store my home improvement ideas in a secret board. During a slow season, I reevaluate my public boards on pinterest, making sure they serve my clients and help solve their problems, as well as promoting my own content from my blog, socials, and more!
So next time you have a slow season in your business, instead of wondering what you should be doing, give this list a try and get ready to hit the ground running when your busy season picks back up!!
PS: If you want to learn the exact steps I take to get all of these things done during my slow season, then you’re definitely going to want to check out my free 10 day course where I teach you every step you need to get all these tasks done and set yourself up for some massive growth! Sound good? Click the button below to get instant access to the free online course!
about the blogger
Hey babe! I’m Courtney Jo! I’m a content creator who coaches babes in biz on how to create their dream life of freedom through content creation, business, and mindset! I’m also an award winning, nationally recognized portrait photographer and I sling some amazing natural hair and skin care products on the side that has changed my confidence and life!w
binge the recent posts
I’m Courtney Jo! A business coach, podcaster, photographer and shampoo slinger, with a goal to help boss babes create their dream life through content creation & marketing!
xoxo, Courtney Jo
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