What season is your business in?
Just like the turning seasons of the year, the seasons of our cycle and the seasons of life, your business will have different seasons too.
And just like life, the season you are in is rarely constant.
As Joni Mitchell sang in The Circle Game:
And the seasons they go round and round
And the painted ponies go up and down
We're captive on the carousel of time
It goes round and round as in life and with Covid19 upon us, you may have found your business in a season you weren’t quite expecting, whether you’re suddenly super busy, or have more time on your hands to reflect where you are going.
So what season is your business in now?
The season of spring
Spring synonymous with skipping lambs, bluebell woods, fresh clear mornings filling us with hope and optimism for the year ahead.
If your business is in the spring season it’s all about new beginnings, a fresh start. You’ll be bouncing ideas around, trying things out, playing with different concepts and vision for your business.
There’s a sense of newness on the horizon, of great things to come, you’ll be full of energy and ideas.
If you’re in this season of your business, you’ll be creating lots of ideas and putting new offerings out onto the market.
Don’t be scared to test your ideas out on your audience!
One of the best tools at your disposal at this time is social media. Unlike big businesses that have to pass new ideas through multiple teams to make it happen, you can pivot test and change all in one day.
Got a new idea, but not sure if it will stick? Put it out on social media and see what people’s response is.
Got a few opposing ideas? Post them out on different days and see which ones resonate with your audience?
This is also the time to grow your following on social media and your email list (although when isn’t!).
Twitter is a great place to quickly post up ideas, or use Facebook Ads as a way to test if people bite.
Allow yourself the space to be in this creative phase and don’t ascribe to the binary view of success and failure, allow yourself a few flops to get to the good stuff.
The season of summer
With long warm evenings, days by the beach, and the promise of holidays, you can take it easy. As the temperatures rise, we are pushing less, but things get done nevertheless.
If your business is in a summer phase, you’ll have a good clear offer, all that testing and creativity of spring will have calmed down and you’ll be coasting along in your yacht.
You’ll be putting out a clear consistent message to your community and be grounded and reliable. Less frantic testing messages on social and more consistency.
If you’re in this stage of your business, there’s a lot of stuff you can be doing behind the scenes to keep growing your business.
You’ll be clear on your offer and your customers, so spend time delighting them with fantastic content that answers their problems and gets them to love you.
In this phase be on the lookout for guest blogging opportunities, PR and speaking gigs to build your profile.
This phase is you in your prime, doing your best work, earning money and being completely in the flow!
The season of Autumn
As autumn comes around we start noticing the last splash of colour in our garden, leaves start turning golden and we’re keen to make the most of those warm evenings before winter tucks us up for the year.
If you’re in an autumn phase of your business, you’ll be busy adding to your offer. Just like the squirrels are hiding the nuts you’ll be looking at what you can add to your business to make it stronger.
In this phase of your business, you’ll be looking out for opportunities to learn and grow.
Perhaps you’re looking at slightly changing your offer, or adding to your business, so you’ll be looking out for courses or people to work with who can support you to create a stronger offering.
Can you add a membership, group coaching, or a subscription offering to what you do?
The season of Winter
With winter comes both ups and downs. Harsh cold and stormy weather, alongside the opportunities to light fires, wrap up in blankets and hibernate.
If you’re in the winter season of your business, you’ll be in a phase of reflection.
Hunkering down and taking a realistic look at your business. The winter sun offers a new clear view of your business.
You’ll be asking yourself questions around whether what you’re offering fits your values and where you want to be? If it fits your needs and offers you a fulfilling life, a balanced life.
If you’re in this season take time out to reflect, research, watch good Ted lectures, be inspired by those around you.
I think it helps to think of our business in cycles. Whatever stage you’re at there’s no wrong and right stage. Bed down into where you currently are, think about how you can make the most of this stage and what you can do to move it onto the next phase.
What season is your business currently in?
Find out about working with me to help you grow your business.
