How to overcome the end-of-summer business slump
Have you hit the end-of-summer business slump? For many, summer is a time for vacations, extra long weekends, and cut back work hours. As an entrepreneur, you probably enjoy those things selectively because you can never really stop hustling! Regardless, as September approaches it’s easy to feel like you are somehow descending into a dark cloud. Back to school for students, back to the grind for “responsible” adults, right?
It doesn’t have to feel like that.
Here are a few things you might be feeling as part of your business slump and some ideas to overcome them:
WRITER’S BLOCK
This issue can hit you 365 days of the year, but I find that the end of summer is especially hard. Your brain is in slow summer mode, but the weather and hustle and bustle says speed up. It takes a bit for your brain to catch up with the change in seasons and you will fall into a groove. That being said, it doesn’t help much if you are stuck on what to write!
Full disclosure, I was a bit stuck on my blog topic this time around. I had a blank space in my editorial calendar for some reason and spent a good chunk of time hating every topic that came to mind.
Here are some helpful tips to help you get on track with your blog writing:
Start with what you know – your experiences will always be relevant. If you are experiencing something, then someone else is likely experiencing it.
Go back to your swipe file for ideas.
Look at past blogs that were popular and see if you can rework the ideas or expand on them in any way.
Take a fitness break – this always helps get my brain going
Look at relevant forums to see what people are talking about and if there are any industry questions you can address in a blog post.
LACK OF PURPOSE
While we are going through a shift in the weather, September is also a time of year where people often approach business with a fresh set of eyes and perspective. Summer can be slower for many businesses, leaving time for reflection on the previous months. This reflection can leave feelings of being “stuck” doing the same thing over and over without seeing the growth you would really like. This can lead you to question whether you are on the right path with your business - the business slump feeling.
Embrace the feeling of a fresh start by revisiting old goals you set and setting new ones. This will help you shift your mindset to move forward rather than remain stagnant in what you have been doing all year.
STRATEGIC BOREDOM
Sometimes you have great goals set in place, but you are just bored getting to them. Doing the same thing over and over again can cause a lack of excitement. Chances are, if you are bored with your strategy, your target audience is bored too.
Kick things up a notch by launching a new marketing initiative. Pick something you have always wanted to do with your business, but you just never got to. The key is to make sure it aligns with your overall goals.
SET UP YOUR HOLIDAY PLAN
While you may not want to think about it, there are 109 days until Christmas… Even if you or your audience doesn’t celebrate Christmas, your business will be affected by that time of year. People take vacations, there are massive sales happening, School is out...
How can you make the most of the holiday season? You should always plan ahead to make sure your marketing strategy is successful, so September is a great time to address your holiday planning. Here are some things to think about:
Holiday gift guides
Sales
Contests
Social media campaigns