The\nsummer months can be a quiet time of year for both fledgling startups and\nestablished companies across the UAE \u2013 as the heat picks up customers, clients,\nand suppliers take some time out to enjoy vacations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While a\nlull can be a bit disconcerting \u2013 particularly if you\u2019re new to running a\ncompany \u2013 in fact a quiet spell can be a great time to catch up on all the\ntasks you have put aside. And that means focusing on your company\u2019s next steps,\ngrowth strategy, client roster, and even making time to learn new skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So here\nare a few ways you can make the most of the \u2018summer slump\u2019:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Overcome The Admin Burden<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Office\nwork. There\u2019s always something that needs attending to \u2013 no matter what size\nyour business is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether\nit\u2019s\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2026or\nsimply filing away that mountain of documents that have been clogging up your\ndesk, adjacent chair, or boardroom table for the last three months. Now is the\nperfect time to tackle all of that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. Focus On Your Current Customers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Many of\nthe leads you\u2019ve spent warming up may suddenly go quiet for a while. So why not\nuse the time to focus on your current client base?<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\nare numerous things you could do:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Doubling\ndown on existing customers doesn\u2019t just increase their loyalty; their positive\nexperiences can lead to new business as well \u2013 especially if it means you\nreceive a positive customer testimonial. Perhaps not surprisingly, according to\na 2013 study on \u2018spokesperson credibility\u2019, a company\u2019s product or service is\nviewed much more positively when an actual customer is quoted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Depending\non the type of products and services you offer, you could also consider doing a\nsummer promotion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Depending on the type of products and services you offer, you\ncould also consider doing a summer promotion. Lowering your prices during the\nquiet period could also strengthen already well-established customer\nrelationships. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. Conduct Some Competitor Analysis<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In their 2015 book, Strategic Marketing: Creating\nCompetitive Advantage<\/em>, the authors assert that: \u2018Understanding a\ncompetitor\u2019s strengths and weaknesses provides insight into the firm\u2019s ability\nto initiate and\/or react to strategic moves, respond to environmental or\nindustry events, and pursue various strategies.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n A\nlittle competitor analysis can go a long way. While of course you should avoid\ndirectly copying anything, it\u2019s worth spending some time to take a closer look\nat some of the initiatives your closest rivals are working on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For\nexample, you could sign up to their email bulletins, blogs, and newsletters\nusing a personal (or completely new) email address.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also,\nfollow your competitors\u2019 social media feeds. Look at their websites. Download\ntheir apps. Seeing how they present themselves can be an effective way of\nunderstanding how they engage with their customers \u2013 the customers your\nbusiness also serves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\ncould also initiate a transaction or enquiry with your competitors as a\n\u2018customer\u2019. If they sell a particular product via an online store \u2013 or if they\nhave a nearby retail space \u2013 this is quite easy. Doing so will give you an\ninsight into how slick (or slack) their customer experience is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4. Work On Your Long-Term Strategy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n While\nmost good companies will define their objectives from the very start, it never\nhurts to review and refine your business strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\nnever hurts to review and refine your business strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In\norder to take stock of where your company is moving from and to, you could:<\/p>\n\n\n\n 5. Cultivate New Skills<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This\ncould encompass learning a new language, brushing up on your coding, delving\ndeeper into SEO, social media, blogging, design, and so on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A quiet\nspell is a great time to boost your current skillset, revisit previous\nlearning, and jump into a new topic that could grow your business\u2019 offerings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This\ndoesn\u2019t necessarily mean going back to the classroom. There are hundreds of\nonline (often free) resources, courses, and platforms on offer. Many of these\nare authenticated by prestigious international universities and have seen\ntremendous results. According to a 2015 study, online education was found by\n92% of participants to be \u2018at least as effective, if not better, than\ntraditional education.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n After\nall, the more you can do yourself, the less you need to spend on outsourcing to\nother businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 6. Encourage Team Members To Take Leave<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If your\nbusiness is driven by your client\u2019s calendar, then it makes sense to encourage\nyour staff to take their leave at the same time as your client. Similarly, if\nyour business is footfall-based (such as restaurants, gyms, beauty salons) then\nyour employees should take their time off when international residents leave\nthe UAE for holidays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your\nbusiness is driven by your client\u2019s calendar, it makes sense to encourage your\nstaff to take their leave at the same time as your client.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Vacation\ntime has wider implications for overall staff happiness (and thus retention) as\nwell. A study carried out in 2011 by the US National Institutes of Health shows\nthat 60% of employees experienced a substantial improvement in health and\nwellbeing after a vacation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And\ndon\u2019t forget: you could use the slower months to take a short holiday yourself.\nA little time away from the hustle and bustle of work life can help you get\nsome perspective\u2013 allowing you to return refreshed and ready for action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However\nyou weather the summer months as a UAE business owner, planned proactivity is a\nmuch better alternative to reactive pondering when it comes to the success of\nyour business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With\nJuly just around the corner, now\u2019s the time to start as you mean to go on.<\/p>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The summer months can be a quiet time of year for both fledgling startups and established companies across the UAE \u2013 as the heat picks up customers, clients, and suppliers take some time out to enjoy vacations. While a lull can be a bit disconcerting \u2013 particularly if you\u2019re new to running a company \u2013 in fact a quiet spell can be a great time to catch up on all the tasks you have put aside. And that means focusing on your company\u2019s next steps, growth strategy, client roster, and even making time to learn new skills. So here are […]<\/p>\n