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Seasonal business: How to beat the annual “no bookings!” panic

By Becky McCray

Do you tend to panic about a lack of business at a certain point during the year?

Do you always feel like you’ll never get enough bookings for the fall?

I know several independent professionals who feel like this:

  • a professional photographer who always worries in late summer that there won’t be enough bookings for senior portraits in the fall
  • a bed and breakfast owner who gets nervous about seasonal bookings not coming in
  • a professional speaker who feels panic when nothing is on the calendar during “dead periods”

You know who deals with this most? Seasonal businesses.

The simple solution: Put a reminder on your calendar for next year.

Around the time when you would normally panic, put a reminder or event on your calendar. Include a measure of where you were at this point during a year when you survived.

Your reminder could include a specific number:
“20 fall sessions booked on August 1 last year.”

Or just give yourself a bit of encouragement:
“Remember that there’s usually nothing booked at this time of year, but you’ll get through this.”

If you have tips for keeping a positive outlook during slack times, add it in the comments.

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Photo credit: josealbafotos on Pixabay

  • About the Author
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Becky McCray

Becky started Small Biz Survival in 2006 to share rural business and community building stories and ideas with other small town business people. She and her husband have a small cattle ranch and are lifelong entrepreneurs. Becky is an international speaker on small business and rural topics.

www.beckymccray.com
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August 8, 2022 Filed Under: entrepreneurship, management, planning, rural, Small Biz 100 Tagged With: annual planning, calendar, mindset, optimism, service businesses

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