Ah, the long, hot summer days. Lazy days spent on the beach and at the pool, taking the kids on vacation, ice cream dripping down your hand, the smell of sun tan lotion and sand in your bathing suits. Ah... the long lazy days… are you kidding? If you own a small business, you can’t afford to go on vacation and close your business for the summer. You need to find ways to keep yourself and your business productive and moving forward all summer long.
Here are my favorite 27 (yes, 27!) ways to move your business forward this summer:
Please note: Some of these tips may be more suitable for B2Bs and some for B2Cs; read every tip no matter what category. The list is designed to help you keep your creativity and productivity up during our long hot summer and get you thinking about what you can do for YOUR business.
Start the summer on the right foot
1. Make a conscious decision not to slow down! Enjoy the summer – work outside, work on the beach – just don't stop working on your business.
2. Even when you are on vacation, no matter where you are in the world: keep business cards in your bag and give them out to everyone: cab drivers, store owners, hotel employees. Tell people about what you do and keep honing your networking skills!
Keep productive
3. Keep productive. Even if your clients are on vacation or especially if they are; this is a great time to take care of your own business: update your website, rethink your branding, write a series of blogs to publish later in the year, create a series of social media post content for future use, learn a new business-related or computer-related or marketing-related skill and check out the competition. As a small business owner there is always something to do.
4. Schedule meetings with other small business owners to get your collective juices flowing – don’t stagnate.
5. Are there any projects and actions you’ve been putting off because you had more important things to do – do them now.
Clients: former, current and almost
6. This is a great time to contact former clients and current ones to plan activities for the coming year.
7. This could be a great time to reconnect with almost and potential clients; potentials that had shown interested in your services or you had sent them quotes but never heard back from them. They may have the time now to reconsider working with you.
8. Create a Thank You campaign for current clients.
9. Create a promotional campaign or special offer to get new business moving your way.
10. Your B2B clients may need a pick-me-up themselves. Talk to them about their slump, how they are feeling and schedule a meeting to discuss how together you can move your businesses forward.
11. Make time to call your customers - if you aren’t in the habit of talking to them on a regular basis. Talk to them, find out about their future plans, talk about yours – reach out and create a stronger bond with your clients.
12. If you are going on vacation – make this another opportunity to contact your clients. Tell them - in advance - when you plan to vacation and that you have a backup plan for them or are on-call for them. Service is always the name of the game!
Social Media
13. Review your social media posting schedule for the last part of the year or create a posting schedule for the upcoming New Year.
14. Invite more Likes to your Facebook page.
15. Get more involved in your Instagram page.
16. Are you a B2B business and are you curious about LinkedIn? This is a perfect time to get involved in LinkedIn groups and begin publishing articles.
17. Don’t stop posting! Keep your social media exposure up and constant. Over 70% of all social media viewing is done on a smart phone and no one leaves their phone at home the entire summer!
18. Take out your phone and create videos! Social media loves videos – this is your time to shine!
Get organized and start planning
19. Get your office in order – get your papers properly filed, clean your desk, get your computer files and folders into order and get your billing into better shape!
20. Don’t let the summer take you by surprise – add a note to next year’s calendar to plan for summer growth by March of next year and have an actual marketing plan in place for next summer.
21. This is a great time to re-evaluate your services and service packages – what sells and what doesn’t.
22. Does your business have a before school begins element? Start planning for that now.
23. Summer down-time can be a great time for larger businesses to treat their staff to team-building activities or just a lazy-day at the beach to say thank you for a job well-done!
24. Summer can be a boon time for certain businesses: skin care specialists, make-up artists and hair stylists, caterers and a long list of other event and simcha service providers. Consider exploring a new niche within these markets or a cooperative venture with one.
25. During the summer slump, while everyone else is working on a 'low burner', could be the perfect time to explore the possibility of a cooperative venture with another small business or service provider.
Looking ahead
26. Be careful – after the summer comes the dreaded before-the-chagim/after-the-chagim slump – when no one wants to commit or start any new project or make any new decisions. The summer time is the perfect time to plan ahead!
27. And finally: Yes, you do deserve a break – take off the time to re-energize, refill the batteries but remember YOUR business depends on YOU.
Bottom line: turn up the air conditioner, make yourself a tall cold glass of water and:
Be smart! Be creative! Plan ahead! The Chagim will be here before you know it!
Do you want to open yourself to a more successful business? Are you lost in the social media jungle? Let me help you re-energize your business and rediscover your passion in your profession. We’ll work together to improve your marketing strategy and online exposure and find the perfect target markets for your business. Contact me today to schedule a free introductory meeting. Who would market to technophobes on Facebook? Or market where you audience lives not where you live.
