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

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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 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.

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