With holidays fast approaching put yourself in the best position to rejoin the office brimming with new ideas, informative and entertaining solutions.
Now is the perfect time to invest some energy in making some extra effort during the summer holidays, it will help to lay the groundwork for future success once business picks up again, post-holidays.
Here are three key business management tips to keep in mind this summer season:
1. Revisit old leads and unfinished projects
When business is busy, it’s easy to fall into the trap of treading water, putting out fires, and only responding to the most urgent client queries. The Summer holidays are a great time to revisit your long-term marketing goals or revive some unfinished projects. For example: Are there old leads who said they weren’t interested when you first contacted them months ago, or asked you to call back another time? Take some time now, during the slow season, to get back in touch. Sales leads that went cold might warm up again when given a fresh contact during the slow season, when others also have time to reflect.
2. Reevaluate your business processes
Summer is a good time to take a look at the big picture of your business processes and try to make corrections and improvements. Are there things you could fix or upgrade with your systems to make it easier for your staff and clients? Do your procedures need an update due to internal changes throughout the year.
Also take a look at your overall business management tactics: What are you doing with automation, what could you be doing differently? Could you do more with marketing to generate more sales leads via your website and social media channels? Are there certain IT systems that are outdated and require some investment? Now is a good time to cut back on tasks that aren’t bearing results.
3. Establish a growth plan
Take some time during the holidays to reflect on you, your business and your purpose. People spend so much time giving to clients and others around us that we often don’t take the time to focus on our own goals.
Knowing who your audience is and what problem you solve is the backbone of your business, otherwise, why are you doing what you’re doing? Take the time to look at your existing client base and nail down your ideal client. Identify where your revenue streams are coming from. What streams could you focus on or add to help increase profits? Once you’ve identified these streams, will they be sustainable in the long run, or is now the time to make some changes?
Your employees are also your best business asset, take this holiday period to look at ways to help your team stay motivated for the year to come. These days it’s not all about the dollars, investing in things such as office furniture, social activities and even training are worth more.
Remember, Summer is a great time to look back on what was and plan for the future, use your time wisely. Treat this time as an opportunity to really work on your business operations. So, even if the phone is not ringing, there are things you can do right now to get ready for bigger results once the work comes rolling in. Where are you going to start?
Rhiannon McDonald, Online Business Manager
