It’s amazing to me that it is June already. One-half of 2013 is nearly complete. Summertime invokes memories of lazy days, of going swimming, playing with my friends, family vacations (are we there yet?), the ice cream truck, and just having fun. Even as an adult, I think of summer as a time of relaxation.
Of course, as an adult, most of us don’t have summers off. It is still business as usual. Or, is it?
I’ve noticed that some business owners have a different work mode during the summer. They tend to move at a different pace as if they are back in school with nothing but fun ahead for the next couple of months.
If you have built that into your strategic plan, great! (you do have a strategic plan in place, right?) If you haven’t included the lazy days of summer into your plan, you may have a not so great summer and a very unforgiving fall.
Summer is still a time for family vacations – even for business owners. And proper planning in January will make it possible to enjoy time away from the responsibilities of your running your business.
The year is half over. Where are you in correlation of your 2013 plan? Are you ahead of your plan, in step with your plan, or behind your plan projections?
If summer is a typically slow time for your business, here are some tips for things to do:
- Attend networking events that you were previously too busy to attend
- Connect in a more casual way with other business owners
- Develop your strategy for your busy season during the slow days of summer
- Organize your office
- Attend training courses to brush up on some of your skills or in a course that would help you advance your business
- Plan team building activities with your staff. The summer is great time to make sure everyone is prepared for the next busy season and that everyone is on the same page for goals and targets.
Take time now to do a mid-year check up. Before you load the family into the car and head out for your annual adventure, review your plan, make any necessary adjustments, and then go have fun. You’ve earned it.
And for those of you who don’t have a plan, well, it’s summer school for you! You get to stay inside and get caught up on your work while others go have fun in the sun.
If you would like more information on training classes or team building activities, the team at Operational Strategies can help. Give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you!
