Take a look at these five ways you can take advantage of the summer months and maximize your small business potential.
By Megan Totka
Summer is a wonderful time of the year when the temperatures rise, but unfortunately for many businesses, sales may fall during the summer months. On average, Americans spend $941 per person on summer vacations, according to WalletHub, which means people spend more time outdoors with their family and less time online shopping.
While the volume of phone calls and emails likely decrease during the summer time, this does not mean you have to let your extra time go to waste. The summer months are actually a great opportunity to increase the time you invest in working towards your business goals. Take a look at these five ways you can take advantage of the summer months and maximize your small business potential.
Review your business.
As a small business owner, there are areas of your business that you can likely reflect on and know need some changes for the better. Use this time to revamp or kick start your marketing and business growth strategy. Professional business services are helpful if you need some guidance on how to find long-term success.
Expand your network.
This seasonal slow time is the prime time to deepen relationships with the individuals in your network and even add new contacts. Remind potential customers who you are, learn about what’s important to your prospects and share your ideas with other professionals in the industry.
Evaluate your website.
You might need a total overhaul of your site or just want to improve your traffic and conversion rates. Either way, now is a great time to get started so you’re prepared for the busier months.
There are many ways to build an effective online presence. One way is to be sure to have a mobile responsive website. While people do still use laptops and desktop computers, there has been a large shift in mobile searches. Ensure your platform is mobile responsive so if people search for your website on their mobile this summer while at the beach, they can easily access your site and its offerings and maybe even make a purchase.
Focus on personal and business development.
While running a business means you likely wear a lot of hats and are thin on time, yet it doesn’t mean you should slack on personal and business development. Aim to implement work-life balance practices. Make it a point to streamline the way you handle tasks like finances. Take a step away from the seemingly endless tasks and empower yourself by reading books and setting goals.
Rekindle client relationships.
If it’s been six months or more since you’ve worked with a client, now is the perfect opportunity to contact them again. As time passes, you might have gained the qualities and skills they believed you were lacking six months ago.
You can start by calling them to see how they are doing. Use this time to fill them in on new products or services you offer that they may find helpful. You can also check and see if they’re still interested in receiving your business update and newsletters.
Even though your business may slow down, it doesn’t mean you should too. View the summer months as the perfect opportunity to invest your time into tweaking your small business strategy and thinking of new ideas. Strive to sharpen your strategies and this fall, you’ll be reenergized and able to reap the benefits of your hard work.
Megan Totka is the Chief Editor for ChamberofCommerce.com. ChamberofCommerce.com helps small businesses grow their business on the web and facilitates connectivity between local businesses and more than 7,000 Chambers of Commerce worldwide. She specializes on the topic of small business tips and resources and business news. Megan has several years of experience on the topics of small business marketing, copywriting, SEO, online conversions and social media. Megan spends much of her time establishing new relationships for ChamberofCommerce.com, publishing weekly newsletters educating small business on the importance of web presence, and contributing to a number of publications on the web. Megan can be reached at megantotka@gmail.com Website: www.chamberofcommerce.com
Summer stock photo by sunfe/Shutterstock
