What to Do When Business Is Quiet: 5 Productive Ideas

Let’s talk about something every longarmer faces eventually: the quiet patch.

You know the one - where quilts stop rolling in, your inbox goes silent, and you’re staring at your machine wondering if you’ve suddenly become invisible. Maybe it's post-Christmas, maybe it's mid-winter, maybe it's just... random. Whatever the reason, it can feel unsettling.

But here’s the good news: a quiet season doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It means it’s time to pause, reset, and focus on the stuff that actually moves your business forward - even if it’s not always flashy.

First: Rest ≠ Failure

If you need to nap, read, knit, or do absolutely nothing - do it. Seriously.

Rest is not laziness. It’s maintenance.

We run creative businesses, not factories. If you're constantly working at full tilt, you’re on the express train to burnout city. So take a moment. Breathe. And when you're ready to move, here are five things that’ll genuinely help.

1. Tidy Your Studio and Tune Your Setup

Give your longarm some love. Get it serviced. Clean under the hood. Check your tension. Wind some bobbins. Dust those corners that haven’t seen daylight since your last Christmas rush. Organise your threads.

Future-you will high-five you for this.

2. Revisit Your Pricing and Policies

Are your costs up but your prices haven’t budged in years? Are the couriers charging twice what they used to and you're not accounting for it?

Now’s a great time to tweak your intake form, streamline your booking process, and make sure you’re being paid fairly for your time and materials.

3. Batch Some Content

You don’t need ring lights, microphones or fancy cameras.

Snap some behind-the-scenes pics. Write down a few tips you’ve shared with clients. Note that clever border solution you figured out last week. Then, set it aside for future social posts or newsletters.

Batch now = less brain strain later.

4. Reconnect With Your Regulars

Reach out to past clients with a friendly “How’s that quilt going?” or “Would love to see a photo of it finished!”

Comment on their Instagram posts.

No selling. Just connecting. People remember kindness—especially when it doesn’t come with a price tag.

5. Quilt Something Just for You

Pull out a UFO, test a new pantograph, or finally use that fabric you’ve been hoarding for “something special.”

Creativity flows better when we’re playing. This is your chance.

What Not to Do?

Panic.

Please, for the love of all things thread-based, don’t start slashing your prices or posting “BOOK NOW!!!” in a frenzy. It doesn’t feel good and it rarely works. A couple of posts letting clients know that you have a quicker than usual turnaround is fine.

Instead, trust the pause. Use the time. Let it refill your cup.

Bonus: Upskill While It’s Quiet?

If you are feeling motivated to learn something new then maybe it's time to check out one of my online courses! With lifetime access, video demos and practice PDF's this could be just the time to dive in and learn something new.

Check them out HERE

Quiet seasons come and go—but smart quilters use them well.

Happy quilting (and resting!),

Lyndelle