This summer has been hot.Ā With many days climbing into the upper 80ās and 90ās, itās hard to find motivation to accomplish any amount of work.Ā All you want to do is hop in the pool, or sit on your couch with a fan.Ā It can even be hard to run a business in this heat.Ā Customers may not want to walk or drive to your store to avoid the heat.Ā Your employees may lose productivity as they take vacations or simply daydream about being outside in the fresh air.
However, you can still improve your business in the summer months.Ā Here are four ideas to help you keep your business running smoothly when even the air conditioning is struggling.
- Take advantage of ārainy daysā.
I know many people still use the adage āIāll save it for a rainy day.āĀ Generally this means theyāre saving some money for when itās tight, but it also means sometime when a job can be accomplished.Ā Luckily for us, this summer has brought many rainy days to accomplish tasks.Ā However, you donāt need to watch the sky to know if itās a rainy day.Ā A rainy day can be any time that you can accomplish a task.Ā Is your business often quiet before 10 am?Ā Then schedule some time in the morning to work on that bookwork thatās been piling up.Ā Do five people call on Tuesdays compared to 20 the rest of the week?Ā If so, start using that day to update your client profiles.Ā āRainy daysā can happen at any time.
- Make sure all your systems are running smoothly.
This one is especially true if your business involves a lot of outside work or has many pieces of equipment.Ā The summer months are the best time to fix anything that may be broken on your office building or within your machinery.Ā Take this one from me as I have had to set fence posts into the cold ground on Christmas Day and also demolish a building in mid-May.Ā I would much rather demolish buildings all summer then set one fence post in December.Ā Your employees will thank you if you accomplish outside tasks during the warm summer months.
- Plan an employee or customer appreciation night.
This one can help you express your gratitude to loyal employees and customers.Ā Rent a park, picnic shelter, or even just offer up your house one night (assuming it can hold all your employees).Ā Your customers will appreciate the gesture, and it can help build comradery between your employees.Ā It can also be cheap, especially if itās an outdoor employee potluck or barbeque.
- Take a class
This is a page right out of your college handbook.Ā If you get behind on your degree, take summer courses.Ā Running a business is no different.Ā If youāve been running your business for a long time, taking a class that is focused on your business can give you new perspective on how to attract customers, create marketing schemes, or simply get you up to date with new rules and regulations.Ā There are many classes for business owners offered in the summer months.Ā If you are interested in this, check out www.iowasbdc.org/workshop-calendar/ for different classes, workshops, and seminars offered around the state of Iowa.