It’s mid- November. If you’ve been in business a while, you’ll already know that this is the time of year where everything in the wedding industry slows down to a glacial pace. Brides and grooms tend to put their wedding planning to one side in favour of all things festive. The enquiries dry up, and that metaphorical tumble weed seems to blow past your website more often than you might be used to.
If you’re not expecting it, it can be a little disconcerting, but it’s all very normal and come January you’ll be overrun with enquiries as it’s when everything ramps up again x 1000! Not only are there lots of Christmas engagements, but those couples getting married in 2015 will wake up on January 1st thinking “Oh crap, we’re getting married this year, we better get serious with the wedding planning!”
Rather that sitting around, eagerly waiting for the January rush to hit, this is the perfect time of year for you to get your business is in the best possible shape.
Start a passion project
I recently wrote about the benefits of personal projects, and this time of year is the ideal time to do something about it. Organise a shoot, put on an event, and just have some fun!
Get those accounts in order
Groaaan! Boring, I know, but why not get a head start on next year’s taxes by cracking on with them now?
Give your home or office an (Autumn) clean
Spring cleaning is overrated. I am ALL about the Autumn clean. We’ve been de-cluttering our house massively over the past few weeks and it’s so blissful. Anything that isn’t beautiful or useful is being chucked (goodbye ugly DVDs that we never watch! Hello, white walls and new carpet!)
Out with the old in with the new, that’s what I say. A nice home and work environment makes everything a million times better.
Unfollow and unsubscribe
You know those people you follow on Twitter just because you think you should? Or those blogs you’re subscribed too but you never bother to read any more? Now is the time to cut those ties. Clearing the decks will give you the chance to find some new inspiration, make some new connections and help you clear your mind of all that draining digital noise!
Do some blogging!
When January comes, all those couples who got engaged at Christmas will hit Google with full force, looking for wedding ideas and advice. Give your website a fighting chance of being the one they land on by scheduling up some articles that will help you attract your ideal client.
Reflect on everything you’ve achieved this year
We’re so used to being constantly busy and moving from one project to the next in quick succession, that we forget to reflect on just how far we’ve come. It’s OK to be proud of your achievements, in fact I think it’s a necessity!
Glance over everything you’ve done in the past 12 months and give yourself a jolly good pat on the back. You might even want to share some of your highlights on your blog or social media (see my previous point).
Start your New Year’s resolutions early
I’m a massive nerd and although I dislike the pressure of New Year’s resolutions, I am a big fan of GOALS. Instead of waiting until January 1st to get going with your 2015 plans, you should start thinking (and implementing) them right now!
Plan your 2015 marketing
If you’re ever going to spend money on advertising your wedding services then January-March are the months to do it. It’s the time that most couples are actively looking for their suppliers (panic bookers for that Summer and super organised couples for the following year). Most wedding blogs and magazines get booked up for these prime months long in advance, so don’t leave it until January to try and get in there!
Enjoy the down time!
Christmas is for eating too much good stuff, spending time with your loved ones and actually taking time off. So you could just use the slower time of year to really enjoy yourself. You’ll get into the new year refreshed, happy and in a much better position to completely dominate 2015!
