With the holidays, travel and time off, the last few weeks of the year are usually slower in the workplace. While it's great when business is busy, you might not have much time to refresh your growth strategy. That's why Amber Anderson, co-founder of Tote + Pears, says this slow season is the perfect time to reassess your business plan, structure, goals, achievements and operations and consider how you can improve your business.

In this issue of Promotional Consultant Today, we share Anderson's four ways to use a seasonal slow-down to improve your business.

Revisit your business plan. Anderson recommends thinking of your business plan as a living document. You can revisit it and update it as your business, clients and growth strategy evolve. One way to do so is to verify you're still targeting the same customers and evaluate your competitors, says Anderson. The best business plans are built around your customers' needs and experiences. Learning how to improve business starts with them-as they grow, so should your offerings.

Revisit your customer touch points. Your customer touch points are the places a potential or existing customer comes in contact with your brand. How your customer engages with the product or service you offer can change. Just like the customer personas in your business plan, a quarterly review of your customer touch points is among the small-business growth strategies that can make a big impact, she says.

Update business processes. How can you work more efficiently? Smooth out the kinks and check if there are new ways to streamline. Ensure that you are meeting your target audience where they are today by:

  • Evaluating your partnerships to understand if the collaboration still resonates with your audience.
  • Setting aside time to read and respond to press, reviews and other media that can leave an impression on your customer or potential customer's experience.
  • Reviewing your website, newsletter or blog to remove any outdated content or attend to outstanding items to improve your customer's experience with your offerings.
  • Reviewing your content and social strategy for relevancy.

Try a new marketing strategy or create your own momentum. Anderson says there are simple but effective ways to create an ongoing relationship with your audience, so they are aware of your offerings and think of you when opportunities arise. Email marketing, newsletters and brand awareness through social media and retargeting campaigns are an engaging way to gain the attention of new and existing customers. Another growth strategy is to build momentum by launching an innovative experience or product catered to the needs of your audience. Doing so during a slow season can give you time to develop and test the idea without the extra pressure and stress.

If you're experiencing a slowdown this month, don't let the opportunity to maximize it pass you by. Use that time to focus on the business growth strategies above.

Source: Amber Anderson is the co-founder of Tote + Pears, the agency that designs products, services and experiences for women and their families.