How To Make Your Summer Count In Business

How to Make Your Summer Count in Business: A Guide for Women Entrepreneurs

Today is the official first day of summer. If you're like me, I'd rather be at the shore! But unfortunately I have a business to run.  As much as I'd like to totally check out like my kids can, I have to face reality that in order to maintain and grow my business, I'm going to have to put in some summer hours.  But at SheEO Marketing, we believe in working smarter, not harder, particularly in the summer.  This is a great time for women-owned businesses to grow, reset, and prepare for a successful year ahead.

Why Summer Matters for Your Business

The summer months often bring a different rhythm to business. While some industries experience a slowdown, this change of pace can be leveraged strategically. Rather than viewing summer as "downtime" see it as "different time" – a period when you can focus on aspects of your business that get neglected during busier seasons

5 Ways to Make Your Summer Count

1. Refresh Your Brand and Marketing

Summer is perfect for a brand refresh. With potentially lighter client loads, you can:

·      Update your website with fresh content and improved user experience

·      Create a content calendar for the next six months

·      Redesign marketing materials that need a facelift

·      Audit your social media presence and implement improvements

·      Experiment with new marketing channels (like that TikTok account you've been considering)

Action Step: Block out two days on your calendar specifically for a "marketing retreat" where you focus solely on refreshing your brand assets.

2. Build Meaningful Connections

Warm weather creates natural opportunities for relationship building:

·      Host an outdoor networking event for clients and prospects

·      Schedule coffee meetings in outdoor cafés with potential collaborators

·      Attend industry conferences that often happen during summer months

·      Join community events where you can connect with local business owners

·      Plan a "Summer Sip and Strategy"  session with fellow entrepreneurs (SheEO will be hosting one June 26!)

Action Step: Commit to making three new meaningful business connections each week throughout the summer.

3. Invest in Learning and Growth

Use any summer slowdown to sharpen your skills:

·      Take that online course you've been eyeing

·      Read the business books collecting dust on your shelf

·      Attend workshops or webinars in areas where you need growth

·      Shadow a mentor or colleague to learn new approaches

·      Develop a new skill that will benefit your business

Action Step: Choose one major skill to develop this summer and create a learning plan with specific milestones.

4. Streamline Your Operations

Summer is ideal for reviewing and improving your business processes:

·      Audit your current workflows and identify inefficiencies

·      Research and implement new productivity tools

·      Clean up your digital files and create better organization systems

·      Review your financial systems and make improvements

·      Document standard operating procedures for key business functions

Action Step: Identify your three most time-consuming business processes and find ways to reduce the time they take by at least 25%.

5. Strategic Planning for Fall and Beyond

Use the summer months to think big picture:

·      Review your year-to-date performance against goals

·      Adjust your strategy based on first-half results

·      Set clear objectives for the remainder of the year

·      Research upcoming market trends that could impact your business

·      Create a detailed action plan for your Q4 push

Action Step: Schedule a full-day strategic planning session in July to map out your Q3 and Q4 priorities.

Balancing Work and Summer Fun

Making your summer count doesn't mean working through every beautiful day. In fact, strategic breaks are essential for creativity and preventing burnout...

- Schedule specific work hours and protect your personal time

- Take advantage of longer daylight hours by starting earlier and enjoying afternoons off

- Consider a workation that combines business with a change of scenery

- Use the "Summer Friday" concept – shorter workdays on Fridays

- Plan at least one complete disconnect vacation to recharge

Final Thoughts

As women entrepreneurs, we often carry multiple responsibilities beyond our businesses. Summer provides a unique opportunity to realign our priorities, invest in strategic growth, and prepare for success in the months ahead – all while enjoying the season's natural benefits.

The most successful business owners understand that summer isn't about slowing down; it's about shifting focus. By intentionally using these months for connection, learning, planning, and strategic execution, you'll enter the fall season with renewed energy and a competitive advantage.

What will you do to make your summer count? Share your summer business goals with the SheEO community at our next networking event!

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This blog post was created exclusively for SheEO Marketing members. As a reminder, our next Garden Networking Event is scheduled for June 26th, 2025. Register today to connect with fellow women entrepreneurs while enjoying food, wine, and guided networking in a beautiful outdoor setting.