The good news is you’re tan, healthy and learned how to breathe without heart palpitations. The bad news is, the thought of having to hustle and bustle as Fall creeps around the corner has you wanting to run for cover. Below some tips to keep you enjoying the month of August while also getting up to speed for a fruitful Fall quarter.
Not to reader: For every hour put into a business plan reward yourself with equal time soaking up sunshine (don’t forget your suntan lotion!). I call this my 1=1 Beach ratio to keep summer fun and efficient.
Make a Plan. Don’t roll your eyes just yet. It’s true that business plans don’t go hand in hand with Pina Coladas but once you’ve finished making a plan you'll be able to afford more drinks. So what if we called it a win-win? Create a business plan for the Fall –what sales opportunities do you envision? What programs will you be announcing? How will you keep customers loyal to your brand and business? Highlight each sales opportunity by month. If you already have a business plan, now is a great time to re-visit your plan and make sure your goals are still realistic and on track.
Marketing Mania. Once you have finished creating your business plan, break it up into quarters. Technically, September would fall into Quarter 3 of the year (Quarters start in January of each year) and October through December would fall in Quarter 4. This will help you assess the time you have in between each business goal. Next set sales expectations for each quarter and then for each month. Once you have an estimate, start brainstorming ways in which you will reach these numbers. For example, if you know you want to enroll 10 new clients in September then factor in how many prospects you will first need to approach to make this happen. Once you get a grasp on your numbers, it’s time to start your marketing. Market according to your sales needs and business goals.
Get Prepared. August is also the best month to do any work that will otherwise deplete your time during the busy Fall semester. If you have a blog try to write as many entries in advanced as possible. Remember to incorporate holiday themed entries you know will be part of your submissions i.e. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Winter Holidays, etc. If you don’t have a blog then take this time to get your newsletters in order or clean out email marketing lists. Getting all this time consuming production work out of the way while business is slow will help you save valuable time meant for sales later on.
Have questions on how to write a business or marketing plan? Contact me about our half-day marketing mastermind on August 12th! Seating is limiting. For more information email Deborah at [email protected].
