How to survive the summer as a small, micro business owner.
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
With more than 20 summers under my belt and many of those juggling childcare & work (they grew up!) I know only too well how the Summer can be a time of anxiety & downright bonkersness for a small micro business owner.
Whether you're dealing with childcare yourself, desperate to take time off from the business or it's your busiest time, Summer can feel like being on rather an unpleasant merry go round.
Equally, the opposite can happen. Your customers are distracted, clients are away and don't want appointments or your networks are absent, leaving you feeling like it's a slow cashflow time.
So, what can we do as owners of businesses with 0-9 employees to help ourselves and manage the business so that we're prepped for that all important last quarter of the year?
Here are some ideas to help you manage a small business Summer:
Embrace the madness - perhaps you didn't want this suggestion, but it's a great moment to share some of your more real moments with your audience and customers to tell story and create connection. Instagram (& LinkedIn) is rewarding 'reality' in videos and stories so what better time to say hi, that you're right here but also managing other things.
Manage expectations - customers of little businesses love you because you're real, a human to deal with and because you have a backstory. Manage expectations ahead of time by sharing when you'll be available, when orders will be honoured or how you're working with a smaller team for a few weeks. Turn it into a positive, with clear dates, times and process so that they feel communicated with and in your loop.
Adopt digital and automation - use your social platforms, emails and website chatbot to provide an automated response about business over the Summer weeks. This could be a list of FAQs to keep them going, signposting them to existing helpful content or helping them get excited about future launch dates. Better still, get them to sign up to your email (with automated on boarding) to help them stay in your community & feel prioritised.
Create a giveaway - if you're not going to be 'in the business' for a week or two or generally going part time over the Summer, why not create something delightful and free to energise your audience while you're less personally visible. Think downloadables, workbooks, programmes or courses.
Go digital free - embrace a digital free break over the Summer and encourage your audience to do the same. This is especially powerful if it aligns to your values. Often small business customers are looking for a slower, more human feel to business and purchasing, so this might strengthen your relationship.
Get help - it's easy to assume that help is only available if we pay for it, but perhaps you can rope in family and friends to lend a hand in return for a picnic or bottle of fizz? If you need packers, photographers, tea makers or proofreaders, loved ones are often only too happy to support.
Get a rest - whether you're taking an actual holiday or staying at home, rest is going to be vital if you're to have enough time to recover and prepare for September. Book time out in the diary for a solo walk, sit in the park with your notebook or switch on your out of office. My experience is that customers don't disappear, they respect. Swap play dates with friends too - it was always my lifeline.