By Tanya Lawrence | The Christian Business
It’s the 4th quarter.
For my tax and accounting business, that means slow. After the October 15 extension deadline, the second half of October, November, and December are my slowest months of the year.
And every year, I start January behind.
This year, I’m doing it differently.
How Do I Finish the 4th Quarter Strong When My Business Slows Down?
A slow 4th quarter isn’t a waiting season. It’s a working season with fewer distractions. The business owners who start January ahead use October through December to fix how money comes into the business, reconnect with the people who already know them, and refine and remove what isn’t producing fruit. Pray over this season, absolutely. Then ask yourself: What can I do today, in faith, with what God has already put in my hands?
That’s what this article is about. Three things:
Money In
Reconnect
Refine and Remove
But first, the verse I’m holding onto this quarter.
Psalm 65:11: The Verse I’m Holding Onto This 4th Quarter
“You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance.” Psalm 65:11 (NLT)
Psalm 65 is a song of praise written by David. The last part of the psalm, verses 9 through 13, describes God caring for the land. He waters it, sends rain on the plowed fields, softens the soil, and blesses the crops. Verse 11 is the high point. The year ends crowned with a harvest.
I want to be honest about one thing. “Hard pathways” is how the New Living Translation puts it. The Hebrew word means paths or tracks, like the ruts a cart leaves in the dirt. The NIV says, “your carts overflow with abundance.” The picture is a harvest so full that even the tracks of the wagons carrying it spill over.
I love the NLT wording because it fits the slow months so well. But I don’t want to make the verse say something it doesn’t.
Two things stand out to me.
First, this verse is praise, not a promise of a profitable year. David is thanking God for a harvest God already gave. The Bible does not promise that every business will have a great 4th quarter.
Second, the rain fell on plowed ground. In verse 10, God waters the furrows and softens the soil. God sent the rain and made things grow. But somebody still plowed and planted that field.
The biblical principle is this: God is the One who provides, and we are still responsible for working the field He put in front of us. No farmer gets a harvest from a field nobody worked.
So here’s my prayer. I’m praying, and believing, that this year I’ll start January ahead instead of behind. That’s my prayer, not a promise I’m claiming God owes me. And while I pray, I’m going to work.
Step 1: Money In
Money is the heartbeat of every business.
Before you go looking for new money, look at the money that’s already supposed to come in. I mean the whole path, from “work done” to “money in the bank.”
Ask yourself:
How fast do invoices go out after the work is done?
What are my payment terms?
Do I take deposits before starting work?
Are my recurring customers on autopay?
How much am I paying in credit card processing fees?
Do I have outstanding invoices, and do I have an actual process for collecting them?
When was the last time I looked at my pricing?
Look hard at your processing fees. Card processing fees take a percentage of every payment. One payment at a time, it doesn’t look like much. Add it up over a year, and it’s real money leaving your business.
I think the better approach is to raise your price enough to cover the fees, then give a discount to customers who pay by ACH (a direct bank transfer). A discount feels better to a customer than an added fee. Nobody likes seeing a surcharge on their bill. Everybody likes saving money.
And if you have customers who pay you monthly, every one of them should be on autopay by ACH. That avoids the card fees, and you’re not waiting on someone to remember to pay you.
Before you change how you charge, check with your payment processor. Rules about surcharges and cash or ACH discounts depend on your state and the card networks.
Look at what’s outstanding. If customers owe you money, is there a process for collecting it, or do you only follow up when you happen to remember? Pick a simple schedule. For example, a reminder on the due date, another a week later, and a phone call after that. Then put it on your calendar so it actually happens.
There’s a biblical principle behind this. Proverbs 27:23 says, “Know the state of your flocks, and put your heart into caring for your herds” (NLT). In that culture, a person’s wealth was their livestock. The writer goes on to say that riches don’t last forever. The principle is to know the real condition of what you’re responsible for. In business terms, that means knowing your numbers instead of guessing.
Do this today: Pull last month’s processing fees and add them up. Then make a list of every invoice that’s past due.
Step 2: Reconnect
When business slows down, most owners start chasing strangers. Before you do that, reconnect with the people who already know you:
Current customers
Former customers
Prospects who said “not right now”
Referral partners
Here’s what we do. Every year, we send out a Christmas mailing. It has our Christmas card, the latest tax news, and what clients need to know about our new-year tax process.
This is also when I go back through the clients who left us. They get a Christmas card too, as a reminder that we’re still here. But their envelope has a special insert with an offer to come back.
It’s not pushy. It’s a Christmas card. But it opens a door.
Ecclesiastes 11:6 says, “Plant your seed in the morning and keep busy all afternoon, for you don’t know if profit will come from one activity or another…” (NLT). Ecclesiastes 11 is about living with uncertainty. The writer admits we can’t know which effort will work. So he says don’t let that uncertainty stop you from planting. This verse doesn’t promise that every effort pays off. It tells you to keep sowing anyway.
Do this today: Make a list of customers who left in the last two years. Pick three people who already know your work and reach out to them this week.
Step 3: Refine and Remove
Slow months are the best time to fix things, because you finally have time to think.
Refine first, then remove. When you make a process easier, you usually find steps you don’t need.
Refine. Ask:
What can I make easier for my customers? Think about paying, scheduling, sending documents, and knowing what happens next.
What can I make easier for my employees? Think about checklists, templates, and fewer handoffs.
What can I make easier for me?
How do I get from point A to point B faster?
Remove. Now look for what isn’t producing fruit. There’s a difference between being fruitful and just being busy. Look at:
Subscriptions and software nobody uses
Reports nobody reads
Meetings without a clear purpose
Tasks you do only because “we’ve always done it that way”
Services that cost more to deliver than they bring in
If you’re overwhelmed and thinking about hiring, do this step first. Sometimes what you need isn’t another person. It’s a better process.
Do this today: Pick one task everyone complains about. Write down every step, and circle the ones that could go. Then pull your bank statement, list every recurring charge, and cancel at least one you don’t need.
What This Does Not Mean
A slow season does not mean God is angry with you or that you lack faith. Some businesses are simply seasonal.
These three steps do not guarantee a great January. They put you in the best position you can control. The rest is in God’s hands.
Finishing strong does not mean working nonstop through the holidays. This is a working season, not a grinding season. Rest and Christmas with your family still matter.
Psalm 65:11 is not a guarantee of profit. It’s praise for a harvest God gave, and a reminder that He is the One who provides.
Pray, Then Get Up and Do the Work
I’m not calling this a waiting season.
Pray, absolutely. Trust God, absolutely. Then get up and do the work. Send the invoice. Move your monthly customers to ACH. Mail the Christmas card. Cut the expense you’ve been ignoring.
Ask yourself every morning: What can I do today, in faith, with what God has already put in my hands?
Your year isn’t over yet.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should a business owner do when business slows down in the 4th quarter?
Treat it as a working season, not a waiting season. Start with the money already supposed to come in: invoices, payment terms, processing fees, and anything past due. Then reconnect with people who already know you, and use the extra time to make your processes easier and cut what isn’t producing results.
How do I keep my business from starting the new year behind?
Use October through December to strengthen your cash flow before January arrives. Move recurring customers to autopay, collect what’s outstanding, and cut recurring expenses you don’t need. Reaching out to past customers now can also fill your calendar before the new year starts.
How can I lower credit card processing fees in my small business?
One approach is to set your price to cover processing costs and offer a discount to customers who pay by ACH bank transfer. Customers who pay monthly can be moved to ACH autopay. Rules about surcharges and discounts depend on your state and card network rules, so check with your payment processor first.
How do I reconnect with past clients without being pushy?
Reach out in a way that gives something first, like a holiday card, a useful update, or a simple check-in. If you include an offer, keep it separate and low-pressure. The goal is to remind them you’re still here, not to corner them.
How do I decide what to cut in my business?
Start by making your processes easier, because that shows you which steps aren’t needed. Then look at recurring charges, reports, meetings, and services, and ask whether each one produces real results or just keeps people busy. If it costs more than it brings in, it’s a strong candidate to remove.
What does Psalm 65:11 mean?
Psalm 65:11 is part of a psalm of praise by David, thanking God for watering the land and providing a full harvest. The NLT says, “You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance.” It celebrates God as the provider. It is praise, not a guarantee that every year will be profitable.
Is a slow season a sign that God isn’t blessing my business?
No. Scripture does not teach that a slow season proves a lack of faith or God’s disapproval. Many businesses are seasonal by nature. The better question is what you can faithfully do with the season you’re in.
Until next time, go build the business God put in your heart. Build with faith, lead with purpose, and most importantly, expect good things.