Are you experiencing a summer slump in your handmade business, and you’re starting to feel a bit of panic and fear and wondering what you can do?
I feel you, summer slumps suck and it’s so easy to feel like you need to hit the panic button and do something to make it stop! Because trust me, I’ve been there and I totally understand what you’re feeling.
But the fact is that summer slumps are quite normal, and everyone experiences slumps here and there in their business— even successful businesses have occasional slumps!
So definitely shut off that panic alarm, and let’s talk a bit about what a summer slump even is, why you shouldn’t panic, and two ways you can turn this slump into an opportunity to make your shop even better!
So, ready? Let’s dive in.
Is this the first time you’ve heard the term “summer slump?” What I mean by summer slump is that it’s not uncommon for a handmade shop’s sales to take a dip and be lower in the summer months.
When summertime comes, for many people shopping takes a back burner to getting outside and having summer fun – beaches, vacations, and just generally spending more time unplugged and enjoying the outdoors.
And as a handmade business owner you might find yourself with slacking sales and shop traffic, and start to feel a bit panicky thinking something is wrong with your products or your marketing.
free checklist: slow sales? Do this
Are your Handmade shop sales slow this summer? Don’t worry, this checklist will help you make the most out of that time so you can get back on track.
The first thing I want to tell you is that summer slumps don’t only happen in your shop, and it’s not anything you’ve done— trust me, your numbers will come back up, it’s just that people are out there enjoying their summer! There are less people purchasing and shopping and browsing stuff online at this point of the year.
So instead of worrying – which won’t do any good for your shop or for you – we’re going to reframe how we look at the summer slump and find the opportunity in it!
Let’s look at 2 things you can do to turn your summer slump into a rare chance to take your shop up a notch and get ready for your busy season!
Because the truth is, in a few months it’s going to be September – as in Back-to-School, Halloween, and Christmas will happen before you have time to blink – and you need to prepare for those crazy busy months because once you get there you will be in survival mode.
So why not take this summer slump and 1) prepare for that busy season, or 2) use this valuable time to work on those big projects you have planned but never seem to get to doing?
In my 4 Stages of a Profitable Holiday Season for Handmade Sellers video we talk all about prepping for the holiday season, and if you did stage 4 you have a list of notes of what you want to do next year to be better prepared.
This is the perfect time to reference that list and do some of the prep work you wished you had done last year! And if you don’t have the list, I’m sure you can sit down and easily make a list of some things you could do or prepare now that will make things easier once you are in the thick of a busy season.
Maybe you want to develop some new products, or perhaps you need to take new and better photographs of some of your products so they don’t look dated. Or maybe you have wanted to do an overhaul of your website and give it a new look – well, this is the perfect time!
You will have some beautifully uninterrupted time blocks that let you focus on your business, your website or shop, and your products.
And imagine how good you will feel when you realize that a summer slump resulted in your shop or your business becoming even better and more successful!
If you are getting excited reading this and want to get started, good news!
I have created a new workshop in Tizzit HQ that is going to show you multiple ways that you can improve your shop during the summer slump, and talk about just what you need to do to accomplish each one! I’m sure you will love all the creative ideas for shop improvements that you can use to capitalize on the extra time you have!
I also have another article all about “what do when sales are slow” so if you feel a little panicky about it click the link and you will get some great ideas!
Thanks for reading and until next time, aurevoir!
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slow summer sales? Grab this free checklist
