The Summer Lull - Top 10 jobs to do
It's that time of year, the sun is unexpectedly shining, the voices of children having fun fill the air and work is... well... quiet is one word for it.
It's that time we panic a little and see a lull in enquiries, that the phone doesn't ring and we start to wonder if there will be enough work to see us through the next few months, Ah the joy of the small business holder.
Actually not all businesses are quite suffering at this point, ice cream vans and bouncy castle businesses are doing well. Wedding venues can't even think about marketing right now. But the point is, we all have those quiet times when we start to wonder if the work will come back in and if we have a sustainable business.
So what do we do, do we sit and panic? Do we start making contingency plans or start browsing the job papers? Goodness me no.
We plan. We communicate. We do those jobs we keep putting off. And there are so many of them.
So here is a list of tasks that you could be carrying out to ensure business comes back in again:
1. Update your website - has anyone else noticed how much website design has changed in the last year?
2. Check your analytics - how many people actually visit your website? What pages do they like looking at? Which of your tweets and blogs work the best? Who is following you and are they potential clients?
3. Testimonials - when was the last time you asked your clients for testimonials and then tweeted them?
4. Feedback - have you had any feedback recently? Are you afraid of asking your customers for their thoughts on how you could improve? If so, don't be, you need that feedback to be the best you can be and that is going to be your Unique Selling Point.
5. Referrals - can you remember ever asking your clients for names and contact details of people that they think you might be able to help? Be proactive, don't wait for other people to shout about you.
6. Your contact list - when was the last time that you spoke to that client you did a really good piece of work for? remind them that you are there and happy to work with them again.
7. Newsletters - don't be shy of the things you achieve, the articles you find interesting, other clients you have worked with and the projects you have enjoyed. Showcase them to your clients.
8. What is new - look into new competitors, new innovations in your industry, new businesses you would love to work with and get in touch.
9. Review your pricing - The one so many forget to think about or are too afraid to amend. You are worth your charges, costs do go up and customers will be putting their costs up too so why shouldn't you?
10. Have a clear out - that pile of filing should be gone, your office nice and clean, there is nothing quite like an office clear out to help you identify some useful tasks and feel renewed for the September step up.
When all that is done, have some fun,
whether with clients, family or friends, have some fun and let your mind wander to what the next big thing is that you could offer your clients. We all need down time now and again and the summer lull is a good time to have some thinking space.
If you are stuck with any of these things, just don't know where to start or maybe you are just so busy you never get round to it, then give The Work Bees a shout and we will be a happy to help.
www.theworkbees.com
or call Rachel on 01223 782105
