With school out for the summer many of your businesses will also shift into summer-mode.
Whether you work different hours, take more days off, change up how you work or what you sell — when summer hits, it can drive your business productivity and profits down too.
All summer long beginning next week we will be doing live strategy sessions with entrepreneurs all over the world on how to keep momentum, no matter how much (or little) they work.
But before we dive in, I wanted to set up some summer rules of engagement.
In my free Facebook community the #GirlBoss Club (which you should totally swipe in the show notes right now to join); we talk a lot about the things that make us kick-ass girl bosses.
One is setting bold goals.
Here on the Mallory Schlabach team, we like to make bold moves, so setting bold goals is a no-brainer.
What can that look like for summer?
If everyone in your industry is moving left, how do you feint right?
How do you stay in alignment with the type of business/person/mom/spouse/friend you want to be AND still hit bold goals?
Two is love marketing + sales.
You won’t have to go all heart-eyes on me yet; but understanding how to market and sell your business (and how your audience will want to be marketed and sold to when THEY are having summer) makes all the difference.
Three is embracing your numbers.
You should always know your profit/loss and revenue breakdowns. But you also need to know your cash flow (especially if you’re working less or traveling or spending more).
What numbers show you you’re doing fine? What numbers show you something is wrong?
What numbers tell you the health of your revenue or lead stream?
Nail these down before you head to the lake.
Fourth is protecting your time.
Your summer numbers MAY look totally different than your spring hours. That’s 100% OK.
We’ve been homeschooling since August and yesterday was my first normal business hours preCOVID where I start working at 9 and finish at 3.
It feels a little weird to get used to a different schedule but I didn’t want to be working at nights) like I shifted to do so I could homeschool my four kids this year.
I want to hang out at my neighbor’s pool in the evenings for games and watercolor painting.
I want to see my kids before witching hour when they want to eat everything in sight.
I do NOT want anything to slow down during summer; in fact; if I’ve learned anything during COVID it’s that pivoting brings freedom when you do it in alignment with where you are.
I was terrified homeschooling would shut down half my business last year. Instead — it doubled. On half the hours.
That tells me that the amount of work I put in doesn’t affect the revenue. It’s WHAT I’m focusing on and how I spend my time.
The final thing to keep an eye on as you start to head into Summer is to silence that inner mean girl.
Not even the one who tells you that idea was crappy.
But the one that tells you you’ll never get to go on a vacation like that stranger your Insta-stalking keeps posting pics of.
Or the voice that says you should wear a muumuu in public because you worked so hard this year you forgot to take time for you and you don’t deserve to wear a swim suit.
Or that voice that tells you you’re never working hard enough, if you’re spending time with family and friends instead of constantly working.
I don’t know about you but I am PUMPED about summer. It just takes a different type of intentionality to live my best life AND grow my business.
I hope today’s mini-crunch session...
