More than ever, I’ve heard from local business owners that they are stressed and having a tough time staying optimistic about the future of their business. January is a tough month for positivity in general because it’s dark and cold and there is the post-holiday let down.
For business owners, there are extra downsides to January: tax season creeps up quickly, January is usually a slow sales month, and in retail there is holiday inventory to deal with.
This year there was also the January deadline of the CEBA loan for those who used the pandemic lifeline to keep afloat.
We’ll skip the obvious ways of how to boost your mood and jump right to the things that directly help business owners.
1. Combat the concern that your holiday season wasn’t as strong as usual. To do this, compare your year-over-year sales. Since the last couple years were unique, look back to 2019 as well. If your sales are actually down, what percentage are you down? If so, what was the ramp-up in the autumn season like? The data may not be as bad as you think. And we typically avoid looking at this type of information for fear that the numbers will confirm our worst fears. It’s more likely going to be better than you think.
2. Lean into your processes. What do you need to do bring in more business? Not new ideas – just your usual process you take to bring in clients or customers. Perhaps with the holidays, things became a bit lax and need to be revisited. Reach out to existing customers. It’s easier to sell to an existing customer than to acquire new ones, so make your life easier and tap into your database.
3. Post frequently on social media, but don’t spend time scrolling your newsfeed. If things are slow, they are likely going to pick up at some point and you won’t have time to think about social media. Use a scheduling program (like Plann) to create a calendar of content. Try to stay away from doom scrolling. People will only post the positive things happening in their lives and it won’t feel good to see this when you’re feeling not great about yourself.
4. In the evening (or whenever your non-working time is), shut yourself off from work. Read a book, watch TV, go out with friends, but don’t drown yourself in work. You won’t be more productive just because you work all the time. Your brain can only be effective for so much time before you’ll end up spinning your wheels with work that won’t be of good quality anyways.
5. Time block your days. When things are slow, it’s easy to see the time waste away each day. Use your calendar (digital or paper) to block each hour of your workday. Assign tasks to each block and do this for your whole week. At the end of the week, roll over any incomplete “blocks” into a slot for the following week and add in new blocks to fill it up. This is the best way to tackle a list of tasks you’ve been putting off.
In addition to these suggestions, I’ve included my list of ways I personally find it helpful to keep my mental health in check during challenging times:
1. Always have a good book on the go. Getting lost in a good book – fiction or non-fiction – is the best way to temporarily take your mind off other things.
2. Bake something simple, with ingredients you already have. Chocolate chip cookies, banana muffins, and lemon loaf are all good options. The act of baking is calming and having freshly baked food on hand is delightful.
3. Protect your time. This includes the classic “it’s okay to say ‘no’” but also make sure to not let your time run away from you in things that are unnecessary.
4. Meditate. I know this isn’t for everybody but a simple meditation every day (during tough or easy times) will help you be mentally strong and able to handle the difficult times more effectively.
— Caitlin
Despite all these suggestions, it is important to seek help from a medical professional when you or someone you care about is struggling with their mental health.