PREPPING YOUR BUSINESS FOR THE SUMMER
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I spent 8 years teaching physical education. What comes to mind when you first think about being a teacher?
Summer’s off, right?!
And let me tell you… while I did spend some time “working” in the summer (I was the head volleyball coach for 2 years so I spent at least 2 nights a week in the summer leading conditioning as well as hosting volleyball camp), having the summer off with my family, to spend time at the pool, go to the zoo, and do all the fun summer things, was AMAZING.
So it was quite a rude awakening when I went from having 8 years of summers off to owning a business and actually having to work in the summer.
And for the first 2 or 3 years as a full-time entrepreneur, I STRUGGLED in the summer months. I was trying to work 9 to 3 every single day, but I ended up feeling resentful of my family and not nearly as “free” or “flexible” as I wanted to be as an entrepreneur.
I felt like a slave to my business – and that’s the LAST thing that I wanted. And I knew that something needed to change if I wanted that freedom that I became an entrepreneur for.
The past few years, I have spent the month or 2 leading up to my kids’ last day of school prepping for the summer months so that I can spend time at the pool, go to the zoo, and be a part of all the fun summer things I was able to do with my summer’s off…
…WITHOUT taking the summer off from my business. Because the last thing I wanted to spend the entire month of September playing catchup and being “behind” in my business.
And I have a feeling you want the same thing for YOUR business too. So, I’m sharing the steps I take each May to prepare my business for the summer, continue to grow it, and still get to enjoy time with my family.
ONE || UNDERSTAND YOUR BUSINESS PRIORITIES
When we talk about your business priorities, we’re talking about the things that directly bring in sales to your business, or what you might know as money-making activities. Some questions to ask yourself to know what these are:
What is the main offer I have that brings in the most revenue?
What activities do I do regularly that lead to sales of this offer?
Are there any additional activities I do that bring in sales?
TWO || CREATE A SUMMER SCHEDULE
This was HUGE for me because, like I said, working my normal 9 to 3 schedule left me feeling resentful that my family was enjoying their summer while I was working. And the beauty of being an entrepreneur is that YOU get to make your schedule.
This is actually what got me started on a 4-hour-a-day, 4 days per week schedule that I’ve stuck to for the past 3 years. Because I knew what my main business priorities were, I learned how to fit those all in to 4 hours a day. Sure, it meant having to cut back on some other things +/or delegate parts of my business, but it also meant focusing on revenue-generating activities so that my business didn’t completely fall off the map for 10 weeks.
For you, this might mean working 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours after the kids go to bed. Or maybe you still work 7 to 8 hours a day, but split it differently or take a day off during the week. It’s totally up to what works best for YOU.
THREE || DELEGATE AND OUTSOURCE
If you know what your business priorities are, you can start to figure out the things that only YOU can do. For me, I know I am the only one who can coach my clients, and I want to be the person who writes all my marketing material (partially because I love it, but also because I don’t think anyone can quite nail my voice). But, I don’t need to be the person who schedules reminder emails or my blog posts or create graphics. That’s what my VA can do for me.
But, it also might look like outsourcing in your life too. For our family, that looks like ALL. THE. CAMPS. For the kiddos in the summer or summer school (which is typically free if you’re in a public school). Our kids do Vacation Bible School, choir camp, cross country camp, STEM camp, self-defense camp, etc. Some are 100% free, and others cost us a little, but it also allows me to work while they are at camp and spend time with them when they get home – just like in the school year.
FOUR || PLAN AHEAD
I did NOT want to wait to give this to you in June because if you want to work less in the summer, you have to start prepping now! What can you do to get ahead so you don’t have to spend as much time on some of those business priorities in the summer?
For me, I’m writing this blog post in April (as well as all the rest of my blogs and podcasts for the summer) so it’s one less thing on my to-do list. I’ve also planned out my launches and other promotional sales for the next 3 months so that I know what I’m doing to bring in sales (outside of an evergreen sales funnel).
You don’t wait until June to register your kids for camps, so why are you waiting to plan for your business until then?
FIVE || BE FLEXIBLE
Have you noticed I say this in almost every single post when I talk about planning?! I mean, it’s mostly I reminder to myself because I am very much an all-or-nothing person and feel like it’s the end of the world when things don’t go according to plan. Yes, I am in fact a control freak.
But, has life EVER gone as planned? Nothing threw me more for a loop in the summer than my daughter breaking her foot a week before we left for Disney World. I couldn’t plan that, but I COULD adapt and find what we needed to do to make sure she could get around Disney World and enjoy her time, even if she was in a boot and riding in a stroller the whole time.
You just can’t plan for the things that aren’t in your control, so allow yourself to be flexible!
SIX || ENJOY YOURSELF
Say yes to a random trip to the zoo. Take the vacation. Walk to get snow cones. The last thing you want is not only for you to resent your family, but for them to think you don’t care. So what if you reframed working in the summer to ENJOYMENT being the goal?!
By proactively preparing your business for the summer ahead, you can still enjoy the summer while maintaining growth and momentum in your business. By implementing these strategies, you can achieve balance in your life + business during the summer months.
Need help with managing your time in the summer months? Time blocking can help you manage your priorities, get things checked off your to-do list, and enjoy time with your family in the summer. You can learn my exact strategy to create a schedule both in the summer and all year round that works for YOU with my course, Slay Your Schedule!
