By Rachel Stafler
FOR BUSINESS OWNERS, the summer can
easily turn into one of the most stressful times
of the year. With clients, associates and staff
taking vacations or focusing more on the good
weather outside than on their computers
inside, work often gets pushed to the back
burner. However, with a bit of forethought,
businesses can take advantage of this time and
even turn it into one of the busiest of the year.
“If you know that it’s a slow period for
your industry in general, then there’s no point
worrying about it or throwing money away
on advertising,” says Costco member Andrew
Loeffler, the owner of Synergetic Solutions
Business Consulting in Riverton, Utah.
“Instead, focus on what you can control so
that when business picks up again you will be
in top form.”
Balancing your load
Advance planning is the key to making
the most of this time, according to business
coaches. By setting out in advance a detailed
list of the tasks you want to complete, you will
be able to tackle them more easily.
This is just what Jacob Wahrhaftig, president of Retail Maintenance Management,
does each May. The New York–area business,
which manages retail facilities around the
U.S., uses the summer to carry out internal
jobs, including staff training, writing marketing materials, IT upgrades and networking.
“This is the ideal time for us to complete
the jobs that we are too busy for during our
fall and spring rush,” says Wahrhaftig. “It also
helps to balance our workload throughout the
year. By being organized in June, July and
August, we are able to hit the ground running
in September.”
Other activities that businesses can focus
on include research and development, office
maintenance and renovations, and meetings
with clients to better understand their needs.
Staff training is one area in particular that can
help increase productivity during busier
times. Loeffler advises his clients to take stock
of the problems that have arisen throughout
the year, and then tailor training sessions spe-
cifically around these issues.
New clients
To avoid any hint of a slowdown in the
summer, Elizabeth Blount, president and
owner of Uniglobe Travel
Designers in Columbus,
Ohio, starts her summer
planning a year in advance.
After experiencing several
summers with little new
work coming in, she decided three years ago to
tackle the problem head-on. She began by researching potential clients and
participating in regional
networking organizations
to meet new contacts.
“We found many op-
portunities and clients,
thanks to the relationships
we developed,” says Blount,
whose clients include both
corporate and leisure trav-
elers. “We also make a strong effort to con-
nect regularly with our existing clients, which
is a great way to increase sales, because they
already know and trust us. We have learned
that there is always something we can do to
drive new business. Thanks to our efforts, our
workload is now spread more evenly through-
out the year.”
Even if clients are focusing on other tasks
or are taking time off, you can still take a
moment to reach out to them, says business
small business
coach Kim Pisolkar, CEO and founder of
Small Biz Big Breakthrough.
“Make a phone call or send a card to show
clients you are thinking of them,” says the New
Jersey–based coach. “It doesn’t have to be
time-consuming, and it will help keep you at
the front of their minds. The summer is also a
great time to network or to learn more about
potential clients. Then you can set up meetings for September and October so that the
business can still meet its quarterly objectives.”
While there can be a wealth of opportunities to take advantage of during the summer,
taking time off can be just as important.
“Business owners can easily get burnt
out,” says Pisolkar. “Plan a vacation; unplug.
You’ll return refreshed, brimming with new
ideas and ready to take on any new challenges
that arise.” C
Rachel Stafler is a freelance journalist and
frequent Costco Connection contributor.
Summer
slowdown
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Advance planning
can help your
business create new
opportunities
Designers in Columbus,
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tackle the problem head-
participating in regional
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e Leonard Sandine, Angie Markowicz and Elizabeth Blount
of Uniglobe start summer planning a year in advance.
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