Surviving the Summer
How to Keep Your Business Thriving When the Temps are Rising
Valentine J. Brkich, Editor
Woohoo! It’s summer! Finally! Well, I guess, officially, summer begins on June 21. But hey, here in the US, we don’t have time to wait around for the summer solstice, whatever that is. After all, we’ve got a lot of hot dogs to eat and ice-cold beers to consume! And what’s more important than that?
For a lot of businesses – particularly small businesses – summertime can be one of the most challenging times of the year. (Unless, that is, you sell hot dogs or beer. Then this is your time to shine!) When school’s out and the weather is warmer, people head off for vacation or are out at picnics on the weekends, and therefore, they’re not spending as much time on Mainstreet, USA. And unlike in the fall or winter, there’s no big consumer holiday like Halloween or Christmas to save the day. Then again, if you sell fireworks (or, again, hot dogs and beer), this is your time to rake in the dough!
So, what can you do during these hot summer months to drive revenue and make sure your business is still thriving come fall? Here are three creative ways to keep engaged with your customers in the summertime:
1. Offer Them a “Summertime-Only” Experience
When the weather’s warm and there are not as many people walking into your store, you have to think of ways to entice customers and get them to open up their wallets. The way you do this is by offering them unique seasonal experiences that they can’t get any other time of the year.
For example, if you own a salon, you might host a weekly “Sunset Styling Night,” where customers can come in after hours for salon services paired with soothing summertime tunes and maybe even a mimosa. Or, if you own a gym, consider offering outdoor fitness classes in the park to take advantage of the warmer weather and longer days. The goal is to make customers feel like they are getting something exclusive and seasonal. (And a free adult beverage doesn’t hurt either.)
2. Team Up with Other Local Businesses
One of the advantages of owning a small business is that you belong to a community of entrepreneurs who share the same goals. All independent businesses have their ups and downs, so it’s important to be there for each other when times are tough. A great way to partner with your fellow entrepreneurs is through cross-promotions.
For example, a coffee shop might partner with the local bookstore by offering a summer reading club, where people can purchase selected “beach reads” and then discuss them over an iced latte. Or, if you’re a photographer, maybe you team up with a local marketing agency and offer a “summer brand refresh” to other local businesses. A lot of towns hold scavenger hunts, where people visit various stores to find clues to unlock prizes or special discounts. These types of partnerships provide a win-win opportunity for all parties involved.
Bonus Idea: A local food market might partner with a local distributor on a “hot dogs and beer” package. (Anyone else sensing a theme here?)
3. Incentivize Your Customers to Buy Now
In the summer, many customers are busy thinking about what they need to bring to the pool (i.e., hot dogs and beer) and therefore end up postponing other types of purchases. How can you combat this? By offering incentives to get them to buy now rather than later.
For example, maybe you can offer a discount for pre-booking fall services at your business. Or, you might consider offering a special price on an annual membership if they book before Labor Day. The goal is to get your customers to spend their money now rather than later by making them feel like they’re getting a deal (which they are). If you do this strategically, it can help improve your summer cash flow while at the same time stabilizing your future revenue.
In summer-y (get it?), the keys to keeping your business viable in these warmer months are to 1) create urgency without showing desperation, 2) make your customers feel included in something timely, and 3) give them a reason to act now rather than later. If you do these three things, it will help your business to survive and thrive during the challenging season of summer.
And, not to belabor the point, it wouldn’t hurt if you offered your customers some free hot dogs and beer. We Americans are easy to please.