Make a Clear and Realistic Summer Business Plan
The lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer are right around the corner. Whether it’s a vacation, a conference, or steady client work, a clear and realistic summer business plan will help you navigate through all of your commitments and time off. It sounds simple, but when you consider the details - the schedule you desire, the schedules of your family, client demands, and the way you want to manage your days to maximize the good weather - flying by the seat of your pants is not going to cut it.
All months are not created equal, especially the summer months. I’ve watched some business owners get overwhelmed by unrealistic goals that don’t align with the time they are available around all of their commitments. They end up discouraged and defeated, not having reached the goals they set for themselves.
I often find that people want a clear plan, particularly for the summer, but they’re not sure how to create one. You need to be intentional about summer - what you want to happen for your business and also how you want to spend your time personally. Then, create a plan that honors your intentions.
First, let’s assess what summer is like for your business. Does it slow down, ramp up, or stay the same? Do you want to maintain the same schedule, or do you want to have Mondays and Fridays off? Will you have to drive your kids to and from summer camp, or have to find activities at home to entertain them while you try to work? (I’ve raised five boys - I feel your pain:)) Will you be working from a different location?
Nail down your vision
Close your eyes and think of your ideal summer day as a business owner. Will you rise with the sun and go for a walk before you jump into work, or will you work first and head to the beach at 3:00? Will you work five days a week or have four-day weekends? Or maybe you’ll leave things just as they are. Write your options down and see what can realistically happen.
Create a summer bucket list for yourself and your family
Last summer, I made a list with one of my kids of all the things we wanted to do, including: going to St. Anthony’s Feast, a day trip to Newport, a beach day, summer concerts on the common, dining al fresco at some new restaurants, and going on some hikes and walks. Think about how much time these things will take, and don’t forget to consider travel time.
Set your summer business goals
Many business owners set annual goals and then treat each month equally as one-twelfth of the total. It’s not that simple. If you take four-day weekends or take time off for travel, you will work less and make less. Maybe that’s okay, but if you don’t think that through, it can be a stressful situation. Many business owners have kids at home, so it may not be the best time to commit to a big project like redoing their website, launching a new program, or setting an aggressive sales goal. Maintaining your pace is also a fine goal, as is ramping up over the summer. Regardless of what goal you choose, each one requires intentional planning.
Nothing puts a damper on fun in the sun like unrealistic business goals that leave you scrambling to compromise personal or professional time. Make sure your business goals are realistic.
Set your summer hours
Based on your vision of how you want the summer to go and the goals you set, align your summer hours accordingly. That task or project that normally takes half of a day will not suddenly take an hour because you want more time in your schedule. So, block the hours and days you want to take off and schedule your business responsibilities around that. Don’t forget to make necessary adjustments so your calendar and automated scheduler match.
Make your plan
Break down your goals into bite-size action items, and make sure to include activities for your own business development. No matter how you adjust your schedule, you want to make sure you don’t neglect working on your own business in exchange for extra fun time. Remember the 90-day rule - the results of today’s activities you complete (or don’t) will show up in 90 days. If you take the summer off and don’t do any business development, you can’t expect a busy calendar and full bank account on September 1. You’re going to spend the fall backpedaling to make up for dropping the ball.
Adjust client expectations
Just because you want to slow down or speed up in your business over the summer doesn’t mean your clients have the same thing in mind. Make sure you communicate with them about any changes to your schedule and availability. This may be a great time to shake up your offerings to smaller projects like strategy sessions or VIP days that don’t require longer time commitments.
Implement accountability to stay on plan
Weekly planning is a key tactic for staying on track for whatever plan you make. Checking in on schedule changes, keeping an eye on finances, and maintaining your marketing on a weekly basis will help you stay on track. And having an accountability partner you connect with daily or weekly will keep you grounded in the goals you set for the summer. If you’re working with a coach, reporting to them will work, too.
Are you ready to make your summer plan but not sure you want to tackle it alone? Set up a complimentary coffee chat to get a few pointers.