Slow business months will occur often, no matter how big or small a company is. Sure, some companies can weather the storm better, but the profit margins will still fall low and cause a general stink in the office.
And as a small business owner yourself, you might find it hard to cope with this occasional lack of customers - especially if sales slow down at various points throughout the year. During these periods, you need to have a plan in place to pick up business wherever you can; here are some tips that might help with that.
Bring a Plan Together Early On
You can’t attract new customers on a whim. You need to have a long term strategy in place to ensure you’ve got the marketing resources available at the right time. And that means working out a plan right now. If a slow month is coming up, usually just after the summer and also in the new year, start your campaign for it today. What will people want from you during these periods? Frequent sales? Lower prices and deals? Find out now to implement it successfully later.
Focus on Gaining Attention From Repeat Customers
If people have bought from you in the past, they're likely to want to buy from you again. It’s this subsection of the market you’ll want to focus on during the lower and slower times of the year. They’ve already got a vested interest in what you’re doing and what you’ve got on offer, now you just need to put the goods right in front of them! So ramp up your target marketing and make sure there are some exclusive deals in there for past clients; if you’ve already got a mailing list, this will be easy to pull off.
Release a Limited Edition Product
Your product is the backbone of your business. As such, it’s the first thing you should think about when you’re trying to generate profit during a typically low month. After all, a limited edition version of your current offering could bring back a lot of repeat custom! You can quickly and easily produce these using 3D printing, like at GSC; the less time spent on refining your idea, finding a supplier, and then ordering the manufacturing, the easier it’ll be to gain traction when you really need it.
Rethink Your Social Media
Social media is great for attracting business when it’s otherwise slow. You’ve got a platform where everybody already is right in front of you, with robust advertising systems that’ll do most of the hard work for you. Now just put it all together! Come up with a deal you want to advertise, make sure your adverts are shiny and interesting to look at, and you’ll have a winning combo for attracting both new and old custom alike.
A slow period in business can kill your company off if there’s no plan in place. You won’t fall into this trap using tips like these!