HOW TO BUILD BUSINESS DURING THE DOWNTIME

Typically speaking, January + February tend to be slower months in the blogging world. In part because everyone’s burnt-out from the holiday season and want to recoup the funds they might have spent on gifts etc. The holiday season is a big one, and the last thing I want is for my audience to constantly feel like I’m pushing things on them. I, myself, need a reset after the busy season.

IMO, this can be an extremely valuable time to get ahead. The rest of the year can quickly get hectic, so I generally find this time to be a really great reset – to plan, to reflect, to think, to strategize about the changes I want to incorporate into the year ahead. I’ve created a list of ways I like to take advantage of this, instead of sleeping on critical downtime.

HOW TO BUILD BUSINESS DURING THE DOWNTIME:

+ invest in programs and/or classes to sharpen your skillset: I’ve mentioned before, that this last year (with all the downtime bc of Covid) I signed up for a pitching course, as well as With Honors. While these do cost some money, I personally feel the investment is worthwhile and will absolutely help me create more revenue for myself moving forward. In my corporate jobs, normally the company would pay for me to attend seminars or workshops – now that I’m the boss, I have to make sure I’m investing in myself + my skillset as well.

+ read: I’ve gone on & on about reading and how beneficial I’ve found that to be for my learning and growth. You can find my comprehensive booklist here. Most of the books I like to read are based around the topics of mindset, personal growth and development and business. Especially for people working for themselves, you’re usually also working by yourself most of the time so I think it’s important to read to get other perspectives, other than just your own to avoid tunnel vision.

+ listen to podcasts: and not just any old podcast, you know there are a few. I’d recommend getting farmiliarized with podcasts that speak heavily to your respected field. Some of my favourites are; TSC Him + Her, WorkParty, The Ed Mylett Show and Oprah’s Master Class to name a few. These are more geared to business, mindset + personal development. My jam.

+ tweak your website & social channels: take this downtime to get into the details of your business. A lot of the year, I need to be sitting at bird’s eye view, focusing on long-term growth and strategy. This time can provide critical opportunity to get into the nitty gritty details of your brand and business. Edit your social media channels, tweak your website and plan ahead for the content you keep saying you want to create. Now’s the time to make your masterplan and set some tangible actions in place to make it happen, even once things start to get a bit more hectic.

+ connection: spend this time to deepen your relationships with your contacts and client rosters. This world is often fast-paced and filled with many faces, so strengthening your relationships is crucial (IMO). I’d make a list of the brands I want to work with this year and create a detailed plan as to how I’m planning to support them (without even getting paid), so that I can show them what I’ve put into the partnership, organically. When it comes time, those are partnerships that will likely flourish because you’ve shown your dedication and genuine interest in the brand/product.