Dealing with slow periods in business

Hani Anis is the founder. Kahani Digitala marketing and PR agency as well as Anis Collections, a luxury fashion brand.

All businesses go through ups and downs. Recently, I experienced one of the slowest months of my career since I started. I called this my “slow season” and it was a huge learning curve for me. I learned a lot about my business, my leadership personality and my mindset. My “slow season” has been going on for about six weeks, and if you’re in a similar situation, I thought these tips might help you; They will also serve as a reflection for me as I go through my next slow season.

1. Don’t use this time as an excuse to overwork or underwork.

For business owners, we often start to panic when our business slows down and has a direct impact on our revenue. We may feel like things will get better if we do more – but often this just leads to more burnout. At the opposite end of the spectrum, some people take it easy at this time and avoid working hard. I’ve been on both ends of the spectrum, and both came off as unhelpful. For me, they made me feel worse, and when I caught myself doing one or the other, I took an hour away from work to recharge and reset.

2. Talk to your employees and lean on your network.

This is where clear communication with your team is so important. If they feel there is something wrong with their leadership but don’t know what it is, it can lead to stress and anxiety and cause further inner turmoil. Be clear with your team about what is going on and the steps you are taking. Along with that, entrepreneurship can be especially lonely when you feel like your career is slowing down. It helps to talk to other friends in your network that you can relate to and support. On the other hand, avoid talking to your competition or people who make you feel good.

3. Take a break.

In my slow times, I realized that the cause was affected by things that were happening at work and things that were happening in my personal life with health. The final solution for me was to take two mental health days. Now, I know this can be difficult, especially if you’re on a deadline, so take care of what you need, but plan a day or two off, because it can help you mentally reset and come back with a clear mind.

4. Take constructive criticism as an opportunity to improve.

During my slow time, I noticed many holes in my systems that could be improved by talking to my employees and long-time customers. I used that opportunity to improve and improve the system so we could be better, which could ultimately lead to happier employees overall.

Just like there are busy seasons, it’s important to remember that there can be a slow season in your business—but it’s only a season. At this point, it’s hard to feel like things will get better, but tell yourself that This is only temporary. It really helps.

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