Are you in summer mode yet? Summer does not officially begin for another week, but if you’re the parent of kids in grade school then your “summer” may already be in full swing. You might be on the nine-month year; you are ultra-organized and focused for the nine months of the school year, and let things “slide” during the 3 months of summer. But how do you stay on track during this time to avoid the summer slump?
Whether you call it the summer slump or the summer slide, the idea is the same. During this time of year, many people are looking forward to summer vacation. Because let’s face it, it’s a time to relax and enjoy some well-deserved free time with the family. However, when you are a health and wellness professional running a small business, the reality is that summer is the time when you may be missing out on a lot of potential revenue.
Don’t Fall Into the Summer Slump Trap
You might have bought into the myth about the summer being the “slow” season. But here’s the thing: when the weather heats up, your business does not have to cool down.
Have you heard opinions like these floating around?
… “I never get new clients during the summer.”
… “I don’t bother to promote during the summer; it’s a waste of time.”
If you have thought this yourself, you’re not the only one. But don’t blindly accept these views as your own.
It’s easy to blame things like fewer calls, prospects, or events on your summer inactivity. Or chock it up to more people being on vacation and having kids home with them for summer break.
The summer slump is less of a reflection of all of this as it is on your own activities (or inactivity) and expectations in your business. And you can completely avoid the summer slump by simply not buying into this idea in this first place!
So, if you’ve been thinking of putting your business on “hold” during the summer for any of these reasons, I want to offer you a new perspective today. Here are 5 helpful tips to help you avoid the summer slump.
5 Ways to Avoid the Summer Slump
1. Capitalize on the summer.
Rather than accept the idea that summer will be slow and waiting for the beginning of the school year to ramp up your business again, why not start ramping things up now? Instead of letting the summer season pass you by, take advantage of it!
Create events that tie into the slower summer season and promote products or services that can help your audience during this time. As a small business owner, you have the autonomy to create programs that meet your people where they are. For instance, create a summer program or package for those who may not be able to keep weekly appointments during the summer, but are still invested in their health. They likely still want your support, but in another form. Get creative and customize your summer offerings to those that would appeal to people during this time of year.
2. Develop partnerships.
A great way to help you bypass the summer slump is to partner up with other businesses. By creating mutually beneficial business relationships, you are able to build a wider audience. This helps to bring in new leads and sales consistently, even during the slower days of summer. For instance, you may partner with a local spa, gym, or Community Center and offer incentives based on how many referrals they send to you.
3. Run a challenge.
You may not typically think of summer as the time to run a challenge, but summer can be a great time to run an event like this for your audience. Running a challenge during the summer has many advantages. It helps you to remain top of mind so that when you are ready to roll out and start offering your fall programs, you have an engaged community.
A challenge can also help you to grow your list during the summer, a time when people typically don’t think about list building. And running a challenge doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be relatively easy, actually. Simply automate your challenge via email and corresponding social media posts. A challenge can be a great way to not only keep your community connected during the summer, but also provide valuable health tips and prepare and warm your audience up for your future offers.
4. Plan and create all of your summer content.
Summer is a time when you can fall into the trap of producing less, little, or no content whatsoever for your business. In my own experience, summer can easily become a time when we just forget about posting and promoting, but what a huge mistake this is.
To avoid this, set aside time to plan and even create all of your content for the entire summer. It may not seem like a lot of fun to sit and write thousands of words of content in one batch, but you’ll thank me for this one! Get all of your content outlined and scheduled now for the next 2 or 3 months. It may take you a full day or 2 to do this, but it will be well worth it.
5. Stick to your healthy routines.
You probably already know this, but healthier people are generally more energized, efficient, and more likely to stay focused. So,n addition to supporting your clients with their health and wellness goals, remember to stay on track with your own.
Stick to a healthy routine over the summer, one that allows you to attend to self-care, keep your mind clear and focused, and just feel better all around.
Summer is a time when it’s easy to say, “I have no time to exercise or go to yoga class,” or “Let’s just eat out; it’s too hot to cook.” And with the kids being out of school, some of the usual structure may be slipping out of place, especially when travel and vacation are involved.
But find ways to prioritize your health and self-care this summer. This will help you to stay motivated and energized during the days and weeks ahead.
The Bottom Line About the Summer Slump
While the reality is that summer is a slower time of year for most, it doesn’t have to completely derail all of the hard work you put into your business throughout the rest of the year. By being proactive and finding ways to stay top-of-mind with your audience – and keeping yourself healthy and energized – you can completely sidestep the summer slump this year.
So, how will you avoid the summer slump? Let me know in the comments!
