Are you currently feeling that "back to school" feeling when it comes to your business?

You know the one. That new pencil case, fresh start, crisp new planner, "I'm going to give it my all this year" feeling....

...Yeah me neither.

The only thing crisp in my life is the autumn air that suddenly decided to take over London. (Which I'm not happy about btw, I’m a summer girly).

So yesterday I decided to brainstorm ways I can get into the autumn feels and approach the last few months of the year with my all.

I am determined to finish this year strong and embrace the colder months, rather than letting them bring me down. And I'd love to invite you to do the same.

Autumn is a time of reflection and letting go what doesn't serve us

You can think of nature’s seasons similarly to in life and business and there are trends that we all go through.

Winter is a time rest and prepare.

Spring is a time of new beginnings and seizing opportunities.

Summer is a time to flourish and continuing to nurture.

And autumn is a time for reflection and letting go.

Like the seasons of nature, we can curate these seasons in our businesses too. We simply need to mindful and intentional about our actions.

That is why when the changing of seasons comes around, I like to lean into the feeling and sentiment of the season.

For example autumn usually coincides with back to school and winter with Christmas.

How can we recreate that “back-to-school” feeling in our businesses?

• Schedule in time to reconnect with your vision and your why, and make sure you know where you're headed.

• Reflect on the past few months, what has been working well for you and what has been challenging?

• Clean out your desk, your computer, downloads folder and Google drive so you're starting with a fresh slate.

• Try a new warming recipe on your lunchbreak to slow things down and embrace the perks of self-employment, meaning you can take all the time you want for lunch.

• Set clear SMART goals for the rest of the year so you know what you're working towards and its not an aimless stumble towards Christmas. And if you haven't already, start planning your Christmas/black Friday campaigns.

• This one's a little extra, but buy a new cosy jumper in your brand colours and a new notebook to recreate that "back to school" feeling and treat yourself for once.

• Update your website with your latest case studies, testimonials and offers so you are moving into the final few months with your best foot forward.

• Brainstorm those to-dos you've been putting off all year and schedule in time to finally get them done, or invest in someone who can help, and save yourself the headache/time.

P.S. If it's website and tech to-dos you've been holding off, I offer a design & tech half/full day so we can tick them off your list in one full sweep.

So let's embrace the changing of the seasons and take back control of what we can.

Ways to set up your business for success ahead of Christmas

An important part of the autumn season is preparing for winter. In our personal lives, we adjust to the cold, we stock up on warm treats and buy presents ahead of the Christmas rush.

But how can we adopt this same mindset in our businesses? Preparing for the winter months when we want to slow down, when the rush of Christmas picks up, when black Friday hits. There is so much to prepare for but sometimes we just don’t know how.

So here are some ways you can set up your business for success this Christmas:

Plan your Christmas marketing campaigns or special promotions

Will you have a special promotion over Christmas or Black Friday? Maybe just a marketing push. Either way, consider what you can plan and even create in advance.

Make note of all the customers you want to show appreciation to over the festive season

Often in the hustle and bustle of business, our good intentions of client gifts or Christmas cards get forgotten. Someone might even slip through the cracks. So get ahead in your planning and start making a list of all the clients, collaborators or special people in your business who you can show some appreciation to.

Brainstorm ways you can get into the festive spirit and pre-book your Christmas parties!

Often us business owners forget to do something special over Christmas. At my old workplace, we used to have advent calendars and Christmas parties to make the season feel special. What is something you can do in your business to appreciate the season?

Something I didn’t know existed was Christmas parties for business owners! They’re an amazing way to network with new people and celebrate your wins across the year.

How to romanticise autumn in your life generally

Embracing that autumn feeling doesn’t have to stop with your business. There are so many ways we can call in that fall-cosiness in our day to day lives. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Get out your cosiest jumpers and fluffy socks to lounge around the house in.

• Listen to some lo-fi coffee shop videos in the background (extra points if it has rain or wind in the background.)

• Go for an autumn walk and appreciate the changing colours of the leaves.

• Bake some warm cookies or try an autumn recipes like soup or pies.

• Read by the window and listen to the sound of rain while wrapped up in a warm blanket.

• Put on your favourite fall outfit and walk to your local coffee shop for some pumpkin spice.

• Decorate your house for Halloween, or simply introduce more reds and oranges to your decor.

Final Notes

Autumn can be a beautiful season which signifies change and letting go. We can either fight it and hope that summer stays or embrace the change and adopt some of nature’s principles into our lives and business.

I hope this gave you some ideas and inspiration as to how you can bring the back-to-school, autumn vibes into your business.

Are you ready to tick off your to-do list and start autumn with a fresh slate? Check out my design and tech days to help you get your online presence up to scratch in just one day.