Look, we’ve all been there. It’s a Tuesday afternoon in February or July, the sun is beating down on the pavement outside your shop in Paddington or Bulimba, and the only thing moving is the dust in the sunlight.
The "slow season." It’s the time of year that makes small business owners wake up at 3:00 AM wondering if they should’ve just stayed in their old office job.
Most people tell you to just "wait it out" or "tighten the belt." Honestly? That’s rubbish advice. Waiting is just a slow way to go broke. If you aren't making sales, you need to be making moves.
I’ve spent years looking at the numbers for local shops. When things go quiet, the winners aren't the ones who cut their marketing to zero. They’re the ones who realise that a slow month is actually a massive opportunity to fix the stuff they were too busy to touch in December.
Here is how we actually handle the quiet times without losing our minds (or our shirts).
1. Stop Chasing Strangers and Talk to Your Mates
When the shop is empty, most owners panic and start throwing money at Facebook ads to find "new customers."
Stop. Please.
New customers are expensive. They don't know you, they don't trust you yet, and they’re hard to convince when they aren't already in a spending mood.
Your easiest money is sitting in that messy pile of emails and phone numbers you’ve collected over the last year. These people have already bought from you. They know where you are. They know you aren't a dodgy operator.
Instead of hunting for strangers, you need to make more from regulars by giving them a reason to come back.
Send a simple text. Send a personal email. Not a "Newsletter"—nobody reads those. Send an invite. "Hey, we’ve got some new stuff in and I thought of you." It costs next to nothing and it works.
2. The "Dead Stock" Clearance (Done Properly)
Every shop has it. That shelf in the back or that rack in the corner with stuff that’s been there since the Brisbane floods.
In a slow season, that stock isn't just taking up space; it’s eating your cash flow. You’ve already paid for it. If it’s sitting there, it’s worth zero.
But don't just slap a "50% Off" sign in the window and hope for the best. That looks desperate.
Instead, use it as a bribe. - "Buy the new season jacket, get last year’s scarf for free." - "Spend $100 and pick anything from the 'Lucky Dip' basket." - "Exclusive VIP night for our best customers: Everything in this section is half-price for two hours only."
You want to get people through the door using the old stuff so they end up buying the new stuff at full price.
3. Fix Your Digital Shop Front
If I can’t find your shop on my phone while I’m sitting at a cafe, you don't exist.
When it’s quiet, you finally have time to look at your Google Business Profile. Is the phone number right? Are the photos from 2017? Have you replied to those reviews?
Google loves it when you update your info. Add some fresh photos of the shop. Post a quick update about your opening hours. It takes twenty minutes and it’s the best way to get local shoppers to actually find you when they’re nearby.
If your website looks like it was designed for a desktop computer from the 90s, fix it now. Most people will find you on a phone. If it doesn't work on a phone, they’re going to the big chain store down the road instead.
4. Work the "Local" Angle Hard
One thing the big giants like Amazon or Kmart can't do is be local. They can't sponsor the local footy team or know the name of the lady who walks her dog past the shop every morning.
In slow times, lean into being the local choice.
Partner up with the coffee shop next door. Give them some vouchers for a discount at your place to give to their regulars, and you do the same for them. It costs you nothing but a bit of paper and a conversation.
People in Brisbane love supporting local businesses, but you have to remind them you’re there.
5. Don't Compete on Price (Unless You Have To)
The big chains will always beat you on price. They have more money and less soul.
If you start a price war in a slow season, you’ll lose. Instead, compete on service.
If business is slow, you have time to be amazing. - Clean the windows until they sparkle. - Offer a glass of water or a coffee to people who walk in. - Write hand-written thank you notes for every online order. - Actually talk to people about what they need instead of just pointing at a shelf.
That’s how you turn a one-time visitor into a regular who wouldn't dream of going anywhere else.
6. The Reality Check: Cash is King
Look, I’ll be honest with you. Sometimes, no matter how many clever emails you send, the month is just going to be lean.
That’s when you look at your overheads. - Are you paying for software subscriptions you don't use? - Can you negotiate a better deal with your suppliers? - Is your electricity bill higher than it should be because the old AC unit is struggling?
Saving $500 a month on bills is the same as selling $1,500 worth of stock (once you factor in your margins).
My Honest Take
Slow seasons suck. There’s no way around it. But they are also the best time to sharpen your tools.
If you spend the quiet months complaining, you’ll be too tired to handle the rush when it comes back. If you spend the quiet months fixing your website, talking to your regulars, and clearing out your old stock, you’ll come out the other side way ahead of your competitors.
At Local Marketing Group, we see this all the time. The businesses that stay active when everyone else is hiding are the ones that end up winning the year.
Don't wait for the phone to ring. Make it ring.
If you’re not sure where to start, or you want someone to look at your setup and tell you where the leaks are, give us a shout. We’re local, we’re straight-shooters, and we know how to get results for Brisbane businesses.