This Summer, Grow Your Business and Refresh Yourself

Summer is the time for growing your small- and medium-size business, not slumbering away hot days.

For many, summer is the time for slackening efforts in the face of hot days and vacation schedules.

For smart small- and medium-size business leaders these months can be used to add sales, expand operations and prepare for year-end efforts.

While competitors slumber in the summer doldrums; it may be an opportunity for your business to steal sales.

At the least, July and August workdays can be used to plan fall campaigns, review year-to-date results, recharge employees, and make changes necessary to close year-end business ahead of plan.

Here are five suggestions for making your business more productive this summer:

1. Review your business’ first six months results and identify what worked and didn’t work during this period. Include, expand the best performing efforts in the final year-end push.
2. Take advantage of the slower period to reach out to current and former customers with new ideas, promotions. There is less clutter during this period and the message may stand out better.
3. Develop a business program for hitting the bricks in September. Customers view this month as a fresh beginning, offer them something innovative.
4. Use this time to refresh the company’s inner-communications with informal gatherings and perhaps a picnic. Casual Fridays are nice but perhaps a Thursday pizza party or adding flex hours will appeal to your staff.
5. Above all, for small- and medium-size business leaders used to 24/7 work weeks it is important to recharge their own batteries. Leave the business alone for one day a week and let others take charge. The results will most probably surprise those leaders.

Happy Summer!