HeyArtist

The positives and the negatives ⬇️

❌ My Social Media Engagement Dropped
We ended up having to go on our road trip nearly two weeks before we planned because of some things that came up later this month, so I wasn’t prepared. I didn’t have anything scheduled for content, and I didn’t have enough service where we were to create it while away.

✅ I Had An Amazing Time With My Son
Outside of not having the service to create content, I also DIDN’T WANT TO. I wanted to be present on this trip we had planned, and see things that we wanted to see, and talk about every silly thing you can think of.

❌ My Content Schedule Got Messed Up
I plan my content calendar in advance so now that I’m home, I have had to adjust it a little bit to get back on track.

✅ My cup got filled.
Being in the ocean, hiking in the rainforest, eating cinnamon buns and salami on a rock overlooking tide pools and staring out the windows of my car at the stars all night from our sleeping bags gave me something that Instagram reach won’t.

⬇️ The Truth Is:
You can be prepared, you can plan content, you can post consistently… and things are going to come up, good or bad, that might interfere with that.

BUT, we are not meant to run our lives around social media. It is a TOOL that supports the growth of our businesses. It’s okay to step back from it and have cool adventures, and be in nature and enjoy life without thinking about how to frame it for your next post.

Social Media Marketing, Vacation, Tattoo Business, Small Business Coach, Creative Entrepreneur

You’re a bad artist.
You aren’t posting enough flash.
You’re not discounting your work enough.
You need to do a rebrand.
You didn’t post enough sales.
You aren’t offering enough appointment spots.
You need a new niche.

There are so many reasons that we, as artists, tell ourselves that our books slow down in the summer (or over the Holidays). But realistically, it’s not that personal.

Seasonal slowdowns are normal, and have everything to do with the consumer. When people are away and want to hang out by the lake, they’re probably not too keen to start a new leg sleeve. 😂

That being said, if you notice these patterns year after year and are still struggling when they pop up, it’s time to start planning for them.

Maybe you take your time off when your books are the slowest, and plan to work more when you are busier.

If you need help setting up long-term plans or goals with your business, shoot me a DM! :)

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Small Business, Business Coach For Creatives, Tattoo Artist, Tattoo Shop, Art Business, Shop Local

How to Handle Slow Season ⬇️

Now live in the blog, linked in my bio!

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Tattoo Artist, Slow Season, Marketing for Tattoo Artists, Creative Business, Tattooing Business

When your books are slow, here are the three things I’d focus on instead of panicking:⬇️

✨MARKETING
First and foremost, get a plan to market consistently and write. it. down. so that you can come back to it.
Not “I can get you a deal today,” NOT “discounts if you come in this week.”
Panic posting because your calendar is a little empty only tells your clients that if they wait long enough, they’ll get your work for less.
Play the long game here, keep showing up. Post consistently, be present, be visible and BE YOURSELF. Share what you’re excited about.

✨SYSTEMS
Now it’s time to fix the stuff that’s annoying you and not working well. Your booking system? Your inbox? The email you send every client but just haven’t created a template for yet? The intake form that doesn’t ask the right questions?
Fix those. Thing about what you want the client experience to look like from start to finish and write that down. From the first DM to the last email asking for a Google Review… make it a process.
You’re basically giving future-you a little gift for when things pick up again.

✨REST
If your business slows down at the same time every year (for me, it’s summer), there’s a good chance your clients are also slowing down then too.
People are away on vacation, their kids are out of school, or it’s Christmas and money is tiiiiight. It happens.
PLAN FOR IT. Stop fighting it every year and plan for it. Make some weird art, deep-dive on overlanding SUV-tours on YouTube (or whatever your thing is), read a book, learn something new…
Fill your soul with the s**t you LOVE. Do the stuff that reminds you why you started a creative business in the first place.

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Creative Business Coach, Slow Season, Small Business Canada, Small Business Coach, Tattoo Artist

When your business depends on YOU being the maker (ie. the tattooer, artist, filmmaker, creator, stylist or service provider), OF COURSE you’re not going to build every other part of your business at the same pace.

The work you create is what pays the bills. Systems, marketing, SOPs, websites, and all the other behind-the-scenes parts ARE important, but they often have to take a backseat to the thing that actually generates your income.

That does not mean you’re failing, and it does not mean that you are behind.

Set small goals. Bite-sized chunks. One hour per week. One system at a time. Attainable things.

And give yourself grace. You’re building a whole-ass car while you drive it.

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Creative Entrepreneur, Business Development, Marketing, Canadian Business, Small Business Mentorship, Creative Business.

New systems, more camping, Van Island road trips and a quick pause on accepting new 1:1 coaching clients for the summer!

I’ve got a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff I’ll be building and implementing, plus a really terrific seminar opportunity with for the fall… no stress though!

I’ll be opening up new spots for 1:1 coaching in the fall — stay tuned for details on that coming later this summer.

In the meantime, if you’ve got any must-sees for Vancouver Island (specifically around Salt Spring and Galiano), drop them here pretty-please!

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Tattoo Artist, Small Business Coaching, Canadian Small Business, Creative Entrepreneur, Tattoo Shop, Road Trip