Summer Slow down? Not me! Our top five ways to use Summer slow down to jump ahead

No matter where you are in the country (many are finally getting a long awaited taste of warmer weather), we all look forward to summer. The days are longer; everyone is outside enjoying evening walks, a little socializing, and vacations. I remember looking forward to the long days, kids off of school, making any excuse I could to slip out to the park. Those were also the days when I noticed a bit of a “summer slowdown” at the office, but these days seem to be long gone. There used to be a distinct slowdown mid-May to early-August. I don’t feel it anymore; it seems that there’s a slow-down, yes, shifting from client focused business activities to business building activities. Entrepreneurs are using this slow down time, to plan out the rest of their year (such as launches), business building activities, networking, and simply get ahead. Here are our top 5 ways to make the most of your summer slowdown: 1. Summer is perfect for creative energy if you love going to the beach or the park you still can but bring a notebook. Take your business on a picnic and let your creative energy flow with the breeze. What new services could you be offering your clients? Enjoy your day at the beach reviewing feedback from clients, your new product or service could be right there in front of you. Now have fun with it! Follow up your creative brainstorming sessions with a team meeting – get everyone engaged! 2. Get ahead! Making time to write social media content or blog posts can be tough when you’re in the peak seasons of your business. Set a goal to write and schedule a blog a day, you’d be surprised how far ahead you’ll get! Create an ebook and turn it into a lead magnet – chances are you already have all the content you need, it just needs to be compiled into a product. 3. Get back out and network! Look for evening networking sessions; you’ll find everyone is a bit more social when the weather is nice, and overall, the events will be better attended. You may even find with schedules more relaxed; you can take networking event conversations further by following up with a meeting for coffee on another day. Nurture your relationships! If there’s a beautiful garden bistro nearby you’d like to enjoy, do it with a new business contact. 4. Set a more relaxed work schedule, but stick to it and make up the hours later. I love treating myself to a short Friday work-day, it let’s me get ready for the weekend, before the weekend! This means that my Monday’s are a little more hectic, but its worth the trade off! I also try to organize my week, so I have days with no business calls, this let’s me work where I’m inspired, not tied to my desk. 5. Take some time off. Yes, its good to get ahead, brainstorm and plan the rest of your year, but you need a break too. You’ve worked hard; you deserve it! What are your top tips for getting head when the sun is shining? How do you stay focused? Think about it!