The Barter Company | Business to Business Barter Network

As most business owners come to expect, traffic tends to slow down in the Summer. The "Summer slow down" can be especially hurtful to small businesses, but don't let this tempt you into taking the season of as well! Use this time to focus on getting your "house keeping" in order and improve on different practices to get yourself, and your business, ready for the Fall. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Give Your Website a Makeover (can be small or major)

If you don't have an established website, now is the time to do it! Even if you do, every website needs some refreshing so take this time to make sure your online presence is where it should be and that your Google tools are working to your best advantage. Google is constantly changing how they do things so this is also a great time to read up on the latest and greatest SEO tips. Check out these basic steps to making a Google-friendly site. If you're a bit more savvy, try these Google secrets to improving your website.

Update Your Social Media Profiles

Make sure your personal accounts are updated with latest skills, contacts, clients, testimonials, etc. Take some time to review and update your bio and experience areas. For your business pages, make sure you have clear call-to-action buttons so that prospective customers can connect with you.

Reach Out to Your Best Clients/Customers

Many small businesses depend on referrals and keeping in touch with longtime customers can really impact your reputation. Make a quick phone call, plan a lunch meeting or simply drop in to say hello and thank them for their business. Summer is a great time to reconnect and having a conversation might give you valuable insight on important ways to grow your business.

Learn a New Skill

If you’ve always wanted to really understand SEO, marketing automation, website coding or any other skill to help you be a better business owner, look for online or offline courses from your industry association, vendors or local adult education programs. There are also tons of free MeetUps available in all areas and they are great learning groups that typically meet during lunch time. You can even use these meetings as great networking opportunities.

Review Your Finances

Set aside some time each week to focus on the present and future of the business. Discover how you can speed up payments or cut costs. Use this time to also do some strategic planning and look towards big-picture planning for your business.

Set Aside Time For Yourself

You are probably used to working long hours and putting all of your energy into the business, but everyone needs time to rest, relax and regroup. This is a wonderful time to recharge so you can stay focused and motivated throughout the remainder of the year. Whether you take two weeks or two days, time for yourself is essential to your physical and mental health. A simple change of scenery can help your creative juices flow, too. Everyone else is on vacation, so take some time for you!

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