Seasons of Business: What season of business are you in?
Just like the seasons in nature, our businesses also experience their own cycles. You may notice that throughout the year, as the seasons change, your energy ebbs and flows within your business.
Recognising this can help you embrace the present season you're in while preparing for what's to come.
Consider these points as you adapt your business strategy to the seasons:
1. Some seasons may last longer than others.
2. It’s not natural to be growing and thriving all year round.
3. Slower periods are not a sign of failure but are essential.
4. Your work seasons may not align with the natural seasons.
5. You may experience more than one season at a time.
There is an expectation that as a business owner, you should always be busy and seeking growth. However, it’s not sustainable or natural to operate at such a high level constantly.
Working in alignment with your natural rhythm means creating a business strategy that understands and adapts to your needs, adjusting your output during seasons of lower energy and non-business priorities, like summer holidays. Even though it’s summer, it might actually be a season of rest or nurture for you.
Below, I discuss what these different seasons could look like in your business and their similarities to the natural seasons.
Nurture
The season of beginnings and creativity. As a small business owner, you’ll know this season well. You get an exciting idea and start working on it. This is often one of the most fun stages of business, starting with an idea and seeing it develop into your creation.
Make the most of the ‘nurture’ season:
As you enter the spring season, you'll notice your energy levels rise. Harness this creative energy while easing yourself in after a season of rest. Manage your time and energy by setting aside time during the week to work on your exciting plans!
Things to consider this season:
Have a clear plan for your ideas. We can sometimes jump into an idea that later doesn’t align with us or our business. Spend time gaining clarity around your plans and stay focused. There may be moments of doubt, but revisiting your why and blocking outside noise will keep you on track, excited, and ready to share your work in the summer season.
Bloom
Just like summer, this is a season of growth following the days of nurturing. Let your business flourish—start sharing all the hard work you've done, whether it's revealing a new website, launching a new offer/collection, starting a podcast, or creating a new program/course.
Make the most of the ‘bloom’ season:
Use this summer-like energy to meet people you've connected with and strengthen your community. Harness this high energy and try something new that you’ve been putting off!
Things to consider this season:
This can be a very busy time, and you may find you're more visible, which takes up more energy. Make time for yourself by checking in at the start of each week and ensuring you do something you need.
Check this out
My Free Workshop: Build Your Business With Intention
In this 30-minute workshop, we explore the 4S’s within your business that impact how you show up and run your business. You'll identify which areas need more support, gain clarity on what you want them to look like, and set action steps to implement after the workshop.
Gather
This season often feels most in flow. After nurturing and blooming, you can see all your hard work come together—traffic to your website, new clients, sales of your new collection/program, downloads of your podcast.
Make the most of the ‘gather’ season:
Celebrate your hard work and accomplishments. It’s easy to forget to celebrate the wins and just keep going, but take a moment to see how far you've come.
Things to consider this season:
This is a great time to gather all your knowledge and experience from the last few seasons and spend some time reflecting. What worked well? What did you find hard? Is there anything you're going to change in your next bloom season? It may be a good time to invest in your business. What do you need to support you in the coming months?
Rest
This is your slowest season in business, taking time to rest and support yourself outside of work. This season may be voluntary or unexpected. Something may happen in your life that requires your business to enter a season of rest, and this is absolutely okay and normal. A winter season in business may also be one where business feels hard, with fewer sales or clients, and uncertainty about what’s working. This is normal and happens in all businesses.
Make the most of the ‘rest’ season:
Use this time to make space for rest, even if it feels like you should be pushing through and trying to keep growing. This is often a sign that we need to pause and do some inward work, both in your business and for yourself.
Things to consider this season:
Slowing down allows you to notice what feels good and what you want to let go of before heading into the spring season. You may find slowing down really hard, so start by blocking time off in your calendar for non-work activities—like meeting friends, booking classes, going for walks, or having longer lunch breaks.
Approaching your business strategy seasonally
So, what season do you currently feel like you’re in? Are you in the middle of one or starting to transition into a new season? Wherever you are, embrace it and know that the ebbs and flows are all part of life and business.
