What if summer isn't the only reason your creative business is on a go slow...
Four reasons why things might not be going well right now - and what to do about it
Hi you!
If things have slowed down in your business lately, growth of your list or followers is slow/ non existent, you have fewer enquiries, lower sales, and are starting to think “what now?” you’re not alone, please don’t panic.
August can be slow and going quiet at this point is actually very normal for a lot of people. But it often drags our scarcity mindset out to play, or prods our self doubt and negative thinking buttons.
Before we get DEEP into catastrophe mode, the first check in to do is this:
Does my business and work life usually go quiet in the summer?
If the answer is YES, as it is for a lot of people, maybe this is a sign to stop the panicking and use your down time for back of office stuff, brushing up your skills on something, or just sitting in the park with a lolly! (Though it might also be a sign to look at creating a better cashflow strategy to cope with quieter months too as most of our fears are connected to lack of income).
If the answer is NO or you feel your sales and income have been adrift for longer than a seasonal blip, that’s a sign that something isn’t working or needs attention.
If this is you, let’s get your head out of the sand, take a deep breath, stop panicking and start looking at what might be happening - and what you can do about it.
Firstly, let’s name external issues swirling around which for a lot of us seem to mainly be concerns about:
a. The economy
b. the impact of AI
It’s not that we can affect either of those things, but it helps to understand that we are navigating tricky and changing times at the moment, times that might ultimately require us to think differently, perhaps make different offers.
I’ll write more about this another time as I want to focus today on quicker, easier ways to help you. But the good news is, we are micro creatives! We are agile. We can do this!
Right, onto the stuff I really know about AND which you can start to do something about right away: MINDSET & GROWING BUSINESS!
Here are some ‘under your control’ reasons why you are not growing in the way you want to, and what to do about them:
1. You’ve lost clarity and focus
It’s easy to drift. Especially if you’re juggling too many ideas or reacting to what other people want from you, or what your competition are doing and what you think will sell, instead of intentionally focusing on what you want to do, what you feel is right, what works.
On top of that, it’s hard to stay on top of creating messages and attention that really speak to the people we want to attract into our world, to see things as they do. But we must! We have to stop writing sales pages and bios that we like and write ones that our people will love.
Perhaps you are also a little bored with what you are offering but are feeling resistance to shaking things up? It’s hard to keep going with things that no longer excite you but there are also fears of letting go of things too.
Try this:
Look at what you are currently offering. Does this still feel relevant? Does it make you feel excited? Does it play to your strengths? Is this what your people still want?
Then, look at your website, social pages, any other ways that you promote what you do. Check your messaging. Be honest about how you are coming across. Could a complete stranger who would be a potentially brilliant customer/ client, understand what you do, what you offer, and why it matters to them?
Maybe it’s time to refine what you offer, work on your messaging or brand, or recommit to creating and doing the things that you care about and that people want.
Ask yourself: what is it really important that people understand about me, my work and how it improves their lives?
2. You’re doing too much (but not the right things)
There’s a difference between being busy and having impact. If your days feel full but your business still feels stuck, you might need to zoom out and check whether you are doing (or avoiding) doing the things that might really make a difference.
Being busy is distracting. It leaves you with no time and energy for what’s needed. Time to cut the crap, literally, and start making space for what’s going to work.
Try this: Focus on your needle-movers. Look to better times, where did your sales, clients and connections come from? Would that still work today? Have you let go of a thread that was helping you? Are you avoiding something because it feels hard in some way, even though you can see it would work? Are you faffing about instead of going for impact?
Do you need to skill up in a certain area? Are there people out there who can help you learn more about a certain area of marketing or business growth? (if you’re not following
or then can I recommend you do? Positive examples of creative women with ideas and skills and outlooks that can help you).Ask yourself: What are three things I can do this month that I believe would genuinely move me forward?
3. Your mindset needs a reboot
Even seasoned creatives can fall into scarcity thinking, imposter syndrome and self doubt when sales slow or the world feels uncertain. We can fall into the trap of negativity very easily and start seeing all the ways in which the world is f**ked and believe the story that ‘everyone is struggling right now’.
It’s a natural instinct to gather in, but then you start budgeting, stop investing in your business or yourself, and to imagine that there’s no way out of your current predicament. That YOU are the problem. None of this is the solution. You can’t budget yourself out of a sales slump.
If you are a woman reading this, please note that men running businesses are rarely given the message to do or think any of this, in fact, quite the opposite. They’re told they’re a solid proposition and to work out how to create growth and to go invest in it. Not to cancel software subscriptions and stop drinking lattes. or to think that it’s gone quiet because they’re a bit crap :)
Try this: Recognise that your mindset can change if you just put the effort in. Try journaling to spot patterns and explore ideas, start a daily gratitude practice to boost your mood, commit to noticing good news stories from your sector, get into EFT tapping* to clear blocks, pull a tarot card daily to change your perspective, whatever works for you!
Lean into the idea that the world is still an abundant place and there’s more than enough work, clients and sales to go round, you just need to connect with them. Stop following or paying attention to news channels and people who fill you with dread or comparisonitis. Don’t talk yourself into a pit of despair, stay focused on what’s good and what’s possible.
Ask yourself: Where can I see abundance already in my life?
4. You’ve stopped taking action
There are so many ideas (or maybe no ideas), and so many fears swimming around in your head that you are paralysed. You’re not doing that ‘full of busy’ thing, you are in a total slump. Doom scrolling, avoiding, signing up for 5 Step type downloads and then not even opening them. Ruminating, procrastinating, dotting about like a demented butterfly, never landing and staying long enough in the same spot to actually achieve anything. Stuck in fear and indecision.
Try this: Write a list of things that need to be done, or that you would enjoy doing or exploring. Don’t over think this, make them small and doable, get 10 things down on a list. We are not going for perfect strategic action here, we are looking to unstick you and get you back in the game because this is the most dangerous place to be and we don’t want to spend too long here!
Now, let’s Pomodoro! Set a timer for 25 minutes and start. Do not do ANYTHING that isn’t on the list. When the timer goes off, take a five minute break to get a drink, stretch, dance, whatever and then go again. Do this five times. I guarantee this will kickstart something! If you like this and it felt good, create Pomodoro time every day.
Ask yourself: What feels fun and easy to do?
I hope this was useful. It’s ridiculously common to be feeling in a slump or quiet just now. Some of what’s going on is likely not your fault at all, and is to do with hesitancy aroun the economy etc but it is your responsibility to do something about it. And when you consider the four points I make above, I am sure that at least one will speak to you!
If you would like some support to do this, I can help! There are several ways I can do that but the one I am super excited about in this season is my Spark Session as it feels like a great fit for this time of year.
What’s a Spark Session?
It’s a one-off 60-minute call designed to help you:
🧭 Find clarity
💡 Get unstuck
📣 Move forwards toards visibility, sales and growth
Whether you’re navigating uncertainty, stuck in your head, or just unsure where to focus next — I’ll help you zoom out, make sense of it, and move forward with more confidence.
It’s just £111 (or £99 for Substack members plus bonus gift)
If you’re a member, you’ve already had your special link for the discounted session with the bonus gift, but DM me if you can’t find it. For everyone else, here’s the link to read more and find out if it’s for you, pick a date and time, give me the low down on what’s going on and book in for a spark!
With love,
Sarah x
*Re that EFT tapping?
Sounds a little woo?
My husband (brand consultant) had a business slump recently and started doing THIS daily. He’s currently fully booked :) Set aside your skepticism and give it a try…