Are you feeling a little lost when it comes to your sales? With the scope of how we shop changing and adapting so much over the last year or so, it was inevitable that there was going to be some ups and downs in the sales of a small business.
In February, I did an Instagram Live with Elizabeth Stiles talking about it. Elizabeth has experience in fashion brands and uses her expertise from working in the area to helping small brands thrive!
We decided to jump on a chat to speak about what she had noticed there was a mutual feeling for a lot of makers at the beginning of the year. Changes in how we shop happens throughout the year but of course, it has adapted a lot over the last few years too.
If you have been feeling the pressure and are in a bit of a sales slump - here are a few tips to help:
Accept that some months are a little slow
There are always going to be some months that are a little slower in sales than others. Don't be disheartened by this, it is something that every business will notice. In January, people are saving and not spending as much after what may have been a busy and expensive December. Summer months money may be spent elsewhere such as holidays, days out and socialising.
Here is a prime example of this. I used to work for a voucher code brand. Although personally we would always want nice weather on a weekend to go out and enjoy, it was always an issue when it came to how many customers came to the website over the weekend. A sunny day might mean we get less hits as people are out enjoying themselves. If it rained or was miserable weather, it could have meant a real boost in how many people looked for voucher codes.
As long as you prepare as much as you can to not panic over these times, you will be okay.
Reflect on what you have learnt
This is something I would recommend you practising whenever you can. After a quiet period or even a busy period, make a list of what you did and how it went. Make sure to look at the whole picture, focusing on what might have gone well and what may not have gone as well. Everything is a learning curve and you will be able to adapt how you do things along the way.
Going through this will allow you to make a plan for the following month. Repeating this process will be so useful to look back on!
Reconnect with your passion and your purpose
Being a small business owner has a lot of moving parts. You might love designing or creating but find some of the other aspects hard. People forget that for a lot of us we are the creators, the content makers, the marketing managers, the customer service and quality control. It is understandable that it can feel like a lot sometimes.
It is important to remember why you do what you do. Take a look at the parts you really enjoy and find time to do them. It should spark your creativity and give you ideas and a bit of momentum!
I always find that reading positive things about your brand can do wonders too! If you are not feeling connected to your brand why not go and look at your reviews or go back and read lovely messages sent from customers? Daisy from The Self Hood, who is one of the hosts of podcast That Feeling When, spoke about having a folder of these wins and referring back to them.
What can you do consistently
If you are feeling a little flat when it comes to the content you are producing, why not look at something that has a bit of routine? I am not suggesting doing something every day but having some consistency means that customers will think of you more and should engage more!
Here are some ideas:
- Insta Lives the same time every week
- Posting alongside a challenge from another brand. E.G March Meet The Maker by Joanne Hawker
- Post a series. This could be how to style something, a behind the scenes video etc. Ideas like this will give you more content ideas that you can stick to
- Focusing on one aspect of what you make and go into the background behind it E.G. Resin and other materials, style of work etc
And remember...
A sales slump is never something that will last forever. You need to change your mindset and look at it from another angle. This way, you can turn what may have initially been a negative into something constructive that brings you more ideas, more creative thinking and more progression for you and your business!