Strategies: Heat things up business-wise this summer
— -- Ah, summer. A time for picnics and pools. Seaside and sunshine. But for many small businesses, summer means fewer people calling, coming through the door, clicking on your website. And it's harder to reach that all-important prospect because they're on vacation.
Don't just drown your worries in another margarita (I'll take mine on the rocks with salt, thank you very much...). I've got nine ways to make the most of this summer to grow your business.
Of course, for some businesses, summer is high season. If you serve a vacation market or are in production for holiday sales, this may be your busiest time. If summer is your busy season, your main focus is to maximize your income now — and, like a squirrel, make sure you're tucking away reserves for the winter.
But for most small companies, business slows during the summer, presenting challenges. In my company, for example, we get a significant portion of our sales from the academic market, so summer has always been a difficult time for our cash flow.
I'm convinced you can turn the summer of 2009 into one of your most productive ever. And I've come up with nine steps to make your summer a business success:
1. Develop your fall marketing plan. Be ready to hit the ground running when your customers are ready to start buying again. Figure out your strategy; work on your marketing materials; line up trade shows, sales calls, and advertising. Beat your competition to the best prospects after Labor Day.
2. Start social networking. Oh sure, you've heard about blogs, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, but you've been too busy to come up to speed. Use these slower summer months to learn about these important sites and to launch your company's social networking marketing.
3. Hire a summer intern. They'd be great to help you with your social networking. After all, they're tweeting all the time. And no, it's not too late to find a good intern — especially with so many college students still looking for work. Remember — legally, interns have to be paid unless they are getting school credit. So check with local colleges or pay at least minimum wage.
