Summer's Over! Time to get back to work

September is traditionally a time for renewal and refocus. Summer vacations are over, kids are going back to school and businesses are slowly emerging after the August lull.

Many business owners I've spoken to say that this August has been slower than usual. Is it COVID weariness, the wet weather, or the "great resignation"? Maybe it's a combination of all of it. Even though I now have to get up at 6:30 to get my son off to school, I'm actually sick of languishing and looking forward to getting back to a regular work rhythm. I expect many others are feeling the same. Many people say the fall is their favorite time of year.

As a business owner, how do you take advantage of the renewed energy that this season brings?

First, get out there. It's hard to get noticed if you're not regularly promoting your business. Commit to do at least one more outreach program before the end of the year. Are you going to networking events? Go to one more. Some states are opening up to events again and if you're comfortable doing that, it's an excellent way to meet business contacts. If not, there are plenty of virtual venues.

Second, step up your game on social media. If you're not posting on social media now, start with a bi-weekly post. If you're already posting, commit to another regular post. Reach out if you need help launching or re-invigorating your content strategy.

Assess past results and think strategically. Many businesses start to plan for the following year in the fall. A great way to plan is to assess your past results. Take a look at your marketing efforts. What's working for you? What's not? For content marketing, this means assessing the results of your newsletters, blog posts, social media and email outreach campaigns.

You should track all of these efforts and analyze the results. While it's often hard to identify exactly which piece of content is getting you the most customers, if you're spending many hours in one channel and it's not yielding the results you want, you may want to re-examine your efforts or pivot. Is it worth all the time you're spending? Is it time to hire someone to do it for you? Or maybe that channel just doesn't work for your particular business.

If you need new innovative ideas or need help gearing up your marketing plan, please reach out. I love helping small businesses create impactful strategies to grow their business.