5 Must Do's when business is slow

Pandemic makes it different!

This year, of course, is likely to be different, with so many lockdowns and restrictions in many places around the world. The Covid-19 virus keeps mutating and new versions springing up that are more infectious causing more problems around the world.

Many new businesses have sprung up, necessity being the mother of invention, there are some fabulous new ideas out there now.

My local Post Office is always busy in the run up to Christmas but this year it was even more so. They usually have January to recover, but not this time. Yesterday they reported that there hadn't been any slow down, they are still very busy. 

That is good for me and other locals especially as it means our Post Office won't get shut down like so many in recent years.

It is good for all the online sellers as it keeps them busy.

In normal times!

Traditionally January and February are slow for crafters.
Why?
Christmas has gone, winter drags on, many people are spent out. 

Those are some of the reasons. It's the way I always thought when I designed and crocheted accessories. It was the general consensus, everyone agreed and had sales to get stuff moving.

There often seemed to be a lull in the summer too once the children finished school. Though I think this has changed more now with most people using their phones for so much online activity. 

Sales are good right?

Not really. They are great to move the last few items of a line you no longer intend to make for one reason or another. Or to get rid of surplus supplies.

Early on in my crafting business, I would have a sale every time business went slow. It did produce sales but I wasn't making very much at all, covering costs and a tiny amount for my time.

If you only want a hobby, that is fine. If you want a long term business, it just doesn't work.

The answer!

The answer was surprisingly simple.

I was saying on a forum that I only seemed to sell when I had a sale. 

A long term, well established seller just responded with: Don't have sales. She pointed out that if you have them regularly, people will just wait for the next one rather than pay full price.

It was a light bulb moment, such an obvious truth.

I needed to sit out slow times and find other things to do, that would help my business.

What you can do!

1). Get your accounts up to date.

 It's very easy to let them slide, especially when you are busy. It becomes a habit to continually think, 'I will do that tomorrow or next week'. The result is usually a massive job as you panic at the last minute.

How do I know? I still do it every year. Maybe this year ...........

2). Clear out your workspace. 

Whether it's a craft room, the spare room, half of another room, it needs sorting out and tidying up. It's also a good thing to do when inspiration does a runner.

Why?

If it's because it's quiet, it will make life easier when you get busy again. If it's departed inspiration it will help revitalise it. 

I rarely finished tidying my space because I would come across half finished things abandoned for something more exciting. Or scraps with drawings of ideas I had had. Sometimes it would be some yarn or a particular colour that would set me off and just like that the inspiration was back full force.

3). Grow your social media accounts! 

When you are busy, this is something that doesn't get as much attention. I found I would do the basics necessary and when extra busy, social media was dropped in favour of getting the orders out. 

It is important to prioritise.

With time on your hands though, rather than bewailing the lack of orders on social media, decide to grow it.

How?

Interact with people, comment on and share their posts/tweets. If they follow you, then follow them back, as long as their timeline/newsfeed doesn't have anything you don't like in it. Spend half an hour or so twice a day doing this and you will increase your followers. 

I found Twitter was my best social media platform for generating orders so I spent more time growing that one and it paid off in spades. I now have 29.3k followers and that makes a big difference in encouraging sales.

4). Try different crafts. 

It's not only fun but you could end up with new products to sell. At the very least you could end up with a new hobby you find enjoyable and relaxing. If you are a crafter, there are invariably other crafts you have looked at and thought you would like to have a go at 'when you have time'.

5). New Ideas

If not trying new crafts then play around with ideas for new products or designs. Just having the time to play with it can have amazing results and its fun too. 

If you are anything like me, I would often jot things down, odd words, drawings etc in a notebook or on various scraps of paper to hand at the time, you will have some notes on ideas to try. 

Get them all out, decipher them and play around, have fun and come up with new ideas. 

Nothing like new products in an online shop to bring people back.

A bit of rhyme for you!

The pandemic had me rhyming again

I think it helped to keep me sane.

Once I start I go into rhyming mode

I seem to hit the mother lode.

My brain just rhymes whatever I see

once more the verses are part of me.

This one is to tell you to get to work

this is definitely not the time to shirk.

Millions and billions are looking to buy

Get yourself out there, don't be shy.

Get out the trumpet, blow your horn

don't hide away, looking forlorn.

This is great time to sell online

arrange your goods, so they look fine.

Help people find what they need

and know you're doing a good deed!

Another day I will add several of the new ditties/verses I have done over the last few months.

I know many of you seemed to like the rhymes.

It became something I did.It feels good to get back into blogging again.

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