The Lean Season

Summer can be a lean season for some service businesses and in many cases, business owners are prepared for it. Customers are vacationing, perhaps putting off some purchases or services until September when life’s routine returns to normalcy. But if you’re a small business and this comes upon you unexpectedly, what can you do to make good use of that skimpier time?

Get your marketing in order! Set things in motion so that when customers have their heads back in the game, you’re ready for them.

Here are some ideas:

Look at your physical space. Can it use some updating? If you’re a shop owner, use this as a time for merchandising where you can invigorate your product layout. Take inventory of what’s selling and what products may be discounted to move them off the shelves and make way for the next season of items. If you’re in the service industry or in an office, this is a good time to get to all of that filing or to even put a fresh coat of paint on the walls. Whether your customers see it or not, it’s motivating to keep your workspace organized and refreshed.

Review your marketing materials. Are your print materials outdated? Can you create an inexpensive palm card to send out to draw new customers? Is your in-store signage looking good or could it be updated and brightened?

Go through your address book. Make a list of those people you want to target in the coming months. Don’t wait for your phone to ring; get out there and make new contacts or re-energize older ones.

Update your website. Websites need to be kept up to date. Some businesses don’t look at them again after they’re launched but realize that every time you make a change to your site, it goes up in the SEO (search engine optimization) ranks.  Besides, you want to make good use of your site and have an online platform that informs people about your business, so make it the best it can be.

Network. While business is slower, use the time to meet with local business networking groups. It’s an opportunity to get with like-minded people and brainstorm ideas or just make new contacts. Start with your local Chamber of Commerce.

Educate yourself. No matter what your industry is or how long you’ve been doing it, all of us can learn something new that will help our business. This is a perfect time to take an online course or attend some webinars to increase your knowledge. That will only serve to help your business.

Creative Vision is a boutique marketing form that works with small businesses. Give us a call (845) 988-8858 for a free consultation.