UNDERSTANDING THE "SEASONS" IN BUSINESS

About two weeks ago, there was so much harmattan in Lagos; dry, dusty, and cold weather. I remember my lips getting dried, and I had to request for a lip gloss from a member of my staff. Surprisingly, in the past few days, the weather has suddenly changed, Lagos has been hit by one of the most intense heatwaves in recent times.
The weather change we are currently experiencing is normal, and the reason is that no weather condition lasts forever. This, the saying “no condition is permanent.”
As it is with the weather, so it is with business. Most times, business activities don’t go the same way. There are times we are super busy, and other times, we are not active. Business, like life, is cyclical. And as owners, we must navigate all seasons and stages with the confidence that no matter what season we’re in, it shall soon pass into another. We may stay in certain seasons longer than others, but eventually, everything will shift and move forward.
So, what season of business are you in at the moment? And how are you getting prepared for the next?
Here, I have grouped business seasons into four. Let’s check them out

THE SLOW SEASON
This is the season when you ask people how business is faring, and the answer is “business is slow at the moment.”
This is the time when business activity is “cold.” We are not getting a lot of activity; in fact, we’re just lucky to have enough business to keep us afloat. We can use this time to make plans and work on building up our network instead of relenting. Business plans are the heart of our business, and when things are slow, we should review our plans, analyze them, update our results, and focus on improvement. Our hierarchies also tend to be the source of our new business, so building networks in the “cold” season will help us get more business for other seasons in the future.

THE EVOLVING SEASON
This is the season when you ask people how business is faring, and the answer is “business is picking up.”
During this season, business is a little better than it is at the initial stage, but it’s still not great. In this season, you'll need to up the advertising and promotion of your business. Radical advertising and promotion during this season will help increase your sales volume against the initial decline in sales your business might have experienced. This season is also a great time to plant your seeds (follow-ups, training, networking, etc.) While in this season, prepare yourself for a fruitful season in the future.

THE BOOM SEASON
This is the season when you ask people how business is faring, and the answer is “very busy at the moment.”
This is a period of great prosperity or rapid business growth. You’re making so much sales, and business is profitable as envisaged.
It is vital not to forget that things will not always be this way, so you might consider saving up for expansion.

THE EXPANSION SEASON
This is when you might crave for something new or something more than you already have built. Perhaps you want to increase your income, or shift your business model, or grow your team. Maybe you want to develop a new facet to your work or take up more space in a significant way.
This is a season to stretch yourself, hold down the strong foundation you've built, and find the courage to expand into what you've envisaged. This also has their teething issues, so be prepared for this through savings, which can be helpful. The challenges of this season are similar to hiking. But if you possess the patience, faith, courage, and a saving culture as mentioned earlier, then you can overcome. Although significant changes usually take time.

CONCLUSION
Each season may vary in length and time, but most businesses experience all four seasons at some point during their life cycle. The key is to “STAY FOCUSED” and remember no season lasts forever.

Article written by;

Gboye Daniel
IG @gboyedaniel

28th February, 2020