• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

PlanningShop

Plan. Start. Grow.

  • Our Products
  • Instructors
  • Entrepreneurs
  • BizGear
  • Rhonda’s Blog
  • About PlanningShop
  • Search
  •  
  • Our Products
  • Instructors
  • Entrepreneurs
  • BizGear
  • Rhonda’s Blog
  • About PlanningShop
  • Search
  •  
Get Ready for Summer

Get Ready for Summer

May 29, 2015 //  by Rhonda Abrams

This week, there may be snow in Colorado and flooding in Texas, but hot or cold, wet or dry, now that Memorial Day is behind us, the summer season is officially here. For many small businesses and entrepreneurs, summer is the busiest time of the year—especially if you’re in the tourism, sports, or construction industries.

But for most of the rest of us who own small businesses, summer often means things in the office slow down. Fewer people come in the door, click on our site, send us emails. That makes it very tempting to close up shop, head for the beach, and order one of those fizzy drinks with little umbrellas. Or at least head to the backyard lounge chair with a tall glass of iced tea.

But before you get nice and relaxed, let me tell you six things you should do for your small business this summer:
  1. Get a mobile website. This is your most important summer task. When you realize that two-thirds of all Americans access the web from their smart phone—and about 40% use their phone as their preferred or only method of getting on the web, your website better look good and work well when people view it on a mobile phone.  If they can’t easily read your content and navigate your site on their iPhone or Samsung Galaxy, prospects will absolutely go somewhere else. Fortunately, it’s really easy to get a mobile-optimized website. Check out such providers as Weebly, Wix, BigCommerce, and WordPress.
  1. Make a list of your top prospects. Every small business owner in a ‘b2b’ or business-to-business company, should have a list of their top customers and their top prospects that they keep handy. Ideally, the list should be visible to you all the time—taped on your desk or posted on a wall. It often takes some research and homework to identify prospects, and in the day-to-day rush of business, that can be hard. During summer, get on the web, especially on LinkedIn, and start researching contacts who have the potential to become big customers before the end of the year.
  1. Develop your fall marketing plan. Summer won’t last forever, and you want to be ready to land some big customers as soon as people are back at their desks. The summer months are a great time to do some strategic planning—clarify and narrow your target market, figure out the best ways to reach prospects. Come up with a marketing budget and marketing vehicles, so you’re ready to go.
  1. Redo your own marketing materials. While you’re focused on marketing, summer is a great time to freshen up and modernize your own marketing materials. When was the last time you took a hard look at your business cards? Brochures? Do you still have a fax number but not your social media handles printed on your material? You can get a new look at reasonable prices from a few online print companies, such as Vistaprint, PsPrint, and Moo.
  1. Update your operations. A slow summer is the perfect time to work on internal operations. Switch any soon-to-be-upgraded on-premise software programs to cloud-based applications. Absolutely set up an online document storage and sharing system, such as Dropbox or Box or Google Drive and start using it!
  1. Tackle a project. We all have a “wish list” of projects we’d like to take care of someday. It may be creating a new prototype of a product and trying out a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter or IndieGoGo. It might be clearing out old inventory, cleaning out a back room, getting some training. Do the spring cleaning you didn’t have time to do in spring.

Of course, summer is also a good time for recharging your own batteries. Remember, the word “recreation” comes from “re-create.” So, take some time off to re-create yourself, so you’ll have fresh ideas and renewed energy to bring to your business. Relax, take a trip, go to a museum. Even sitting around by a pool with a fizzy drink with a little umbrella isn’t such a bad idea. Make mine a margarita.


Copyright, Rhonda Abrams, 2015

This article originally ran in USA Today on May 29, 2015

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Email

Category: Solution Center, USA TodayTag: entrepreneur, marketing, mobile, operations, rhonda abrams, small business, small business tips, summer

Previous Post: «You're a start-up You’re a Start-up, College Grad
Next Post: Home Business – Dream or Nightmare? Home Business»

Reader Interactions

Primary Sidebar

Instagram @rhondaabrams

Instagram post 2195382591704439680_1452679072 Enjoy the ride, small business owners! .
.
#smallbiz #mondaymotivation #entrepreneurlife
Instagram post 2193099979921798447_1452679072 As we settle into the holiday season, take a moment this busy weekend to enjoy sights & sounds around you. Here's to managing that stress! .
.
#smallbusinessowner #holidays #holidayseason #weekendvibes
Instagram post 2192514564753639208_1452679072 #thursdaythoughts #smallbiz #thoughts #entrepreneurlife #dontlookback #smallbizguru
Instagram post 2191648846350001711_1452679072 How to make holiday stress work FOR you, in my latest @usatoday column! Link in profile.
.
.
#smallbiz #entrepreneur #holiday #stress #tips #smallbizguru
Instagram post 2190930739848451220_1452679072 This Giving Tuesday, I'd like to take a moment to acknowledge what small business gives year-round. $$ to their communities, jobs, responsible environmental practices. Way to go, smallbiz!
.
.
Now, get out there and support your favorite cause~ ❤️
.
.
#smallbiz #givingtuesday #giveback #allyearlong #smallbusinesslife #entrepreneurlife
Instagram post 2188638231477008373_1452679072 #smallbusinesssaturday #shopsmall #smallbizsat
Instagram post 2186617825995788325_1452679072 This Saturday is Small Business Saturday! Where will YOU Shop Small?
.
.
#smallbusinesssaturday #smallbizsat #shopsmall #shoplocal
Instagram post 2185170189996621621_1452679072 Small Business Saturday is THIS SATURDAY! Where will YOU Shop Small? Let us know in the comments!
.
.
#smallbizsat #nov30 #shopsmall #shoplocal #smallbizguru
Instagram post 2182958089297599584_1452679072 Thanksgiving is almost here - what are you thankful for? I'm thankful for small business & all the hard-working, brave entrepreneurs who try to make an impact each & every day~
.
.
#thankful #smallbiz #fridayfeeling #givethanks #entrepreneurs
My Tweets
  • Instagram post 2195382591704439680_1452679072 Enjoy the ride, small business owners! .
.
#smallbiz #mondaymotivation #entrepreneurlife
    Instagram post 2193099979921798447_1452679072 As we settle into the holiday season, take a moment this busy weekend to enjoy sights & sounds around you. Here's to managing that stress! .
.
#smallbusinessowner #holidays #holidayseason #weekendvibes
    Instagram post 2192514564753639208_1452679072 #thursdaythoughts #smallbiz #thoughts #entrepreneurlife #dontlookback #smallbizguru
    Instagram post 2191648846350001711_1452679072 How to make holiday stress work FOR you, in my latest @usatoday column! Link in profile.
.
.
#smallbiz #entrepreneur #holiday #stress #tips #smallbizguru
    Instagram post 2190930739848451220_1452679072 This Giving Tuesday, I'd like to take a moment to acknowledge what small business gives year-round. $$ to their communities, jobs, responsible environmental practices. Way to go, smallbiz!
.
.
Now, get out there and support your favorite cause~ ❤️
.
.
#smallbiz #givingtuesday #giveback #allyearlong #smallbusinesslife #entrepreneurlife
    Instagram post 2188638231477008373_1452679072 #smallbusinesssaturday #shopsmall #smallbizsat
    Instagram post 2186617825995788325_1452679072 This Saturday is Small Business Saturday! Where will YOU Shop Small?
.
.
#smallbusinesssaturday #smallbizsat #shopsmall #shoplocal
  • Footer

    Our Products
    Instructor Central

    Privacy Policy
    Contact Us

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter

    Copyright © 2019 PlanningShop · All Rights Reserved · Site design by paulinaart

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. ACCEPT Read More
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.

    Necessary Always Enabled

    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

    Non-necessary

    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.

    loading Cancel
    Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
    Email check failed, please try again
    Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.