What to work on in your business during the COVID-19 slow season

For those of us whose client cancellations are mounting up and experiencing days going by without a new enquiry, the COVID-19 situation can be an anxiety-inducing time.

While money is something we should be mindful of conserving now, other resources, specifically time and energy, are now suddenly in abundance — so why not make use of this time? Here are five things you can do to keep your business afloat, and even strengthen your brand during this period.

1. Do an in-depth brand review.

Without the distraction of constant enquiries and client interaction, it’s a good time to step back and take a look at how your brand has grown from its beginnings. Use the quiet time to evaluate what has changed and what has stayed the same. Over time, as we work, our perception of the ideal client, our offerings, and our branding inclinations will evolve.

Some questions to ask yourself during your brand reflection are:

Do I still like my branding? Are my visuals — the logo, brand colours, website — still something that resonate with me?
Is my brand voice aligned to how I want my brand to be perceived?
Is my ideal client still the same? Would they like my brand?
What have past clients said about my brand?

2. Build relationships with your partners and clients.

You’re not alone — everyone else in the creative industry is feeling the uncertainty, too. Use this time to send a quick email or text to your partners or vendors, even if it’s just to say hi and ask how they are doing.

Likewise, if you have clients who have become friends, check in on them. Even a short message goes a long way. The key thing here is not to simply send a mass email from your brand — their inboxes are already flooded with such messages, and yours could be lost or dismissed as a PR stunt. Instead, drop them a personal text or email to make sure they’re okay.

You can also still offer value to your clients. If you’re an invitation designer, for instance, offering a free ‘Change the Date’ PDF invitation that they can send out will go a long way. Some of my friends who are photographers and nail techs are also offering services at reduced prices for brides who can’t get married, but still want to have the basics for a quick ROM ceremony.

3. Support other creatives.

You can still support fellow creatives during this time! Offer to barter your skills in exchange for theirs — like copywriting in exchange for an updated logo — so that both of you will continue to improve on your businesses. Alternatively, you could get together over Zoom coffee and brainstorm a collaboration that will offer value to your shared audience.

If you live near a photographer friend, now is the perfect time to get a branding shoot done, since weddings all over the world have been cancelled and there’s hardly any work. Plus, you can never enough beautiful shots of yourself!

4. Work on your processes and workflows.

Now’s the time to take a good, hard look at your workflow. Are you focusing on the parts of your business that you truly love, or have you been sucked into the vortex of admin work? If you’re spending more than 30% of your time sending out invoices, editing contracts and preparing proposals, it’s time to automate or outsource those things before you burn out.

I personally swear by Dubsado, a system that handles all my invoicing, contracts, and drafts in one beautifully branded system. When I was a stationery designer, I used it for detail collection (like wedding dates, mailing addresses etc) and proofing — and it not only made things so much more efficient, it became one of the top reasons brides would choose my services. One client even told me that she knew I was “the one” after seeing my system!

You can check out Dubsado here. It’s an affiliate link, so both you and I will get a discount if you sign up using that link. You can also trial Dubsado for three clients without a time limit to see if the system works for you first.

5. Learn something online.

If you’ve been meaning to upskill by taking an online course or getting another certification, this is the perfect time to do it! There are plenty of courses on Coursera, Udemy and Skillshare that you can take, whether it’s in flatlay styling, branding, or customer experience.

Working from home can be tricky if you have a partner and/or kids who are around, so it’s good to block off time for dedicated learning during the week, much like attending a regular class.

Most of all, use this time to relax and recharge. Business ebbs and flows, and slow seasons are inevitable for most of us. Use this time as an opportunity to renew yourself mentally — so that when all of this is over and the bookings roll around again, you’ll be fighting fit. Hang in there! ■

Melody BayApril 5, 2020BUSINESS