What to do When Business is Slow to Keep Things Moving Forward

Being a wedding photographer means that your business is quite cyclical. There are seasons for certain things to happen and I personally have several months during the year where I’m not really shooting anything at all. So, if I’m not shooting does that mean that I’m sitting at home doing nothing and waiting on the next job to come around? Certainly NOT! And neither should you! The “slower” periods of business (for me, at least) aren’t really that slow. I’m still getting up every day and working, planning, answering emails, and getting things together for the next busy season. It’s so, so important to take advantage of the times of year when you’re not running around shooting and you don’t have a ton of editing on your plate.

Whenever I get asked how I keep myself from burnout I usually answer with “My business is very cyclical in nature and when things aren’t super busy, I am always working towards making sure I take care of myself, my family, and preparing for the future.” Finding little pockets of time throughout the year where I can do something other than photography (like watercolor painting, learning calligraphy, taking a walk on the beach, or people watching) is a huge help to the progress of gaining inspiration. I also read – A LOT. This is another way you can take full advantage of slower periods when you’re not traveling and you don’t constantly have a camera in your hand.

That being said, there is actually a process I follow when I’m not shooting and it has helped me tremendously in keeping track of all of the facets of being a small business owner.

1. Update the website! This is quite important. Your website is oftentimes the first thing people see when they find you for the first time. About 80% of the inquiries I get come from people who found me in a Google search, so it’s extremely important for me to make sure ALL of the information displayed on my site is clear and accurate. In addition to making sure the content is accurate, you should also regularly update your gallery images and landing page images so the work that is displayed is the best representation of the work you’re creating TODAY. Images need to be clear and crisp, so double check your sizing restrictions for your theme to make sure everything is correct (and consider sizing for retina screens). Make sure ALL links are working!! (Not only is this annoying to someone on your site, but Google doesn’t like broken links.) Double check your SEO to make sure your optimized for search results. And consider taking time to clean up your website – categories: delete the ones you’re no longer using, clear out old content: delete posts and images that no longer represent your work, and update any plugins you’re using and delete old ones that might be screwing up your theme. (If you ever notice issues with your links or your images when you’re posting your website on social media, more-than-likely the culprit is a plug-in!)
2. Take a look back. Look back at the goals you’ve set for yourself and check on your progress. Try to determine what’s working and how you can improve processes. Take a DEEP, hard look at things you know aren’t working and brainstorm ideas to change things. Look at your finances and see if you’re on track. Balance your books, record your mileage, and make sure all of your taxes have been paid on time. Have you maintained a decent blogging schedule? If not, what can you do to make things more consistent? Are there areas in your family’s lifestyle that have suffered lately? Are you forgetting to do the small things that, when added up, are actually important things that need your attention? Try to remember not to dwell on the things that got put on the back burner. Give yourself some grace here!! We’re all human! But now that you have a general idea of how the past few months have gone for you, you’re now equipped to move forward!
3. Reset. This is where you should take time to think of ways to take care of yourself and your family. You know what needs some work, you know what isn’t broken. You’ve given yourself grace and you’re ready to move forward. As Taylor Swift says…Shake it off! Rewrite your goals if you think that’s needed. Rework your schedule if you think that’s needed. Prepare your mindset for success and know that you CAN handle this.
4. Declutter. THIS IS HUGE FOR ME! My mind absolutely cannot work at it’s optimal level when my physical surroundings are cluttered and unorganized. Just this week I took some time to clear the junk out of the drawer in my desk. I dragged over the trashcan and just started dumping things out. I personally have NO problem with throwing things away. Some people, like my husband, will hold on to objects for various reasons. (Maybe one day it’ll fit me. But someone special gave me this! It reminds me of that time I…) <— Does that sound familiar? I used to be that way until I realized how important it was to declutter my surroundings so I can get things done!
5. Try something new to bring back inspiration. This winter I picked up watercolors for the first time. I also purchased a kit to learn calligraphy. I’ve always loved different forms of art, so stretching myself and learning something new actually recharges me. It gets me excited and inspired. I see things differently and it can sometimes completely change my outlook on something. Just try to consider doing something else that might spark inspiration. Sign up for a cooking class, go see a play, have a girl’s weekend and take a trip somewhere that no one has ever seen, take a walk on a beach, pick up yoga.

I know personally how overwhelming and sometimes lonely owning a small business can make you feel. It is so, so important to make sure you’re doing things to keep moving forward. Whether you’re doing something to take care of yourself, or you’re doing something to take care of your business – it doesn’t matter. You’re still moving forward!! And that’s one of the most important things you can do!

I would LOVE to hear what you’re doing to move yourself forward, below in the comments. Have you found a recipe that works best for you? Are you running into some trouble getting motivated? Let us know!