How to Use Business Downtime to Your Advantage

You don't have to run a seasonal business for work to thin out at certain times of year — maybe clients take long summer holidays, or new projects don't roll in until after New Year's. Here are a few behind-the-scenes tasks worth tackling during the slowdown so you come out ahead when business picks up again.

Update and upgrade your digital presence

Downtime is the perfect time to tackle projects you couldn't get to when things were busier. Making tangible improvements now can also help offset any revenue you lose while things are slow. And one of the best projects to tackle? Updating—and upgrading—your digital presence.

Use this downtime as an opportunity to update and upgrade your:

To protect your brand reputation, make sure your branding is consistent across every platform. Customers should have a consistent experience whether they're on your website, your social feed, or your shop. For example:

Brush up on your skills

No matter how seasoned you are, there's always something new to explore and learn. And the more you learn, the stronger your business gets. So why not use this downtime to invest in the kind of learning that takes your business to the next level?

There are plenty of educational options out there that will help you level up your skills, no matter what kind of industry you’re in or what kind of skills you’re trying to learn or expand.

A few worth exploring:

Using downtime to learn and grow is a great way to set yourself up for bigger success when business returns to normal.

Check in with your clients …

Your clients may not be actively working with you right now, but the relationship still needs nurturing.

If you have clients who hire you regularly, keep in touch. Touch base every so often to see how they're doing and share an update on what's happening with your business. Checking in when they're not paying you shows clients you value the relationship and don't just see them as a dollar sign.

… and with your network

When you're in a slowdown, it can feel like you're the only one going through it. But you're in good company, as plenty of businesses and entrepreneurs hit the same cycles.

Use the slowdown to reach out to your network. Check in with former colleagues. Talk to other local business owners about their products or services, potential partnerships, or new ways to reach customers. Hop on LinkedIn to support other businesses or mentor newer entrepreneurs in a similar spot.

Keeping in touch doesn't just make the slow stretch feel less isolating. It can lead to new connections and opportunities when work bounces back.

Keep your team motivated

If you manage a team, this slowdown has probably changed their day-to-day. Maybe there's less work than usual, or a role is on pause until you're back at full capacity.

Whatever the situation, one of the biggest downtime risks is lost productivity. During a slowdown, employees may worry about job security or feel frustrated by reduced hours, both of which can drag down productivity.

That's why keeping your team engaged and motivated matters if you want to set your business up for success afterward.

If you can, keep employees working at the same level as before — even if that means different kinds of projects. For example, a contractor between jobs could tackle a long-overdue equipment audit or update job-site safety docs. A virtual assistant who usually fields client requests could put their organizational skills toward your website redesign.

If you have to reduce hours, keep your team in the loop on what's happening and when you expect to bring them back to full capacity.

Get your finances in order

Unpaid invoices don't chase themselves, and a slow week is the perfect time to go after them. When you're juggling clients, projects, and deadlines, finances tend to slide to the bottom of the list, so use the quiet stretch to bring them back to the top.

Getting your finances “in order” means different things for different businesses, but here are some financial clean-up tasks worth considerin:

Staying on top of your finances is tough when things are busy, but it's essential for your long-term financial health—so use this downtime to get ahead.

Explore hobbies outside of work

You may think you need to invest all of your downtime back into your business. But using some of that downtime to explore passions, hobbies, and interests outside of your business can be an equally sound investment.

Pursuing hobbies outside of your business has a host of benefits. From a personal perspective, hobbies can bring joy, fulfillment, and passion to your life. They can help you relax and find a better balance between your work and personal life.

From a business perspective, hobbies can spark creativity and help you think outside the box. Plus, if you find a hobby you really connect with, it could open the door to additional revenue streams or business opportunities.

For example, let’s say you own a marketing agency—but you love spending your free time drawing. You might use your hobby to further your business by doing things like drawing custom illustrations for your client’s social media pages or by designing infographic templates that you can sell on a digital marketplace like Etsy.

The point is, taking the time to pursue your hobbies will reap benefits both for you and your business—so use this downtime to engage in your hobbies and passions, both old and new.

Enjoy your downtime

There’s a lot of pressure to make “good use” of any extra time. But don’t forget: Downtime can be just that—downtime. There’s nothing wrong with using it to disconnect, rest, and recharge.

It's hard to be effective at work and life when you're headed toward burnout. So if you're feeling overwhelmed, cut yourself some slack and use this downtime to take care of yourself. Spend time with family, catch up on a show, do some yoga, take a nap — whatever self-care means to you.

It may not feel productive, but taking the time you need to recharge is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your business.