Summer lull in a small business: how to survive it?

Summer trips of clients, own vacation plans and constant expenses related to running a business make July, August and the beginning of September may be quite difficult months for small businessmen. On the one hand, they also want to enjoy the holiday rest, which is as important to them as it is to full-time employees. On the other hand, it means a significant reduction in activities, especially for those who are self-employed. Is it possible to combine a holiday vacation with maintaining the company and avoiding arrears related to fees, e.g. in the Social Insurance Institution or the tax office? How to enjoy your vacation without suspending your business? How to survive the summer stagnation in the company?

Holidays in the eyes of a businessman

Holidays are quite difficult for many self-employed people. On the one hand, there is a desire to spend a family vacation away from home, which involves additional expenses. On the other hand, the number of customers who spend money on travel and away from home during holidays is declining. Reasonable people are able to save money in time for a short family trip. However, fees related to running a business remain a problem, which - despite the decreasing number of orders and vacation plans - remain at a constant level.

How to survive the summer stagnation - tips in a nutshell

There are many ways to survive the holiday downtime. Among the many methods, we can distinguish, for example:

• accepting a large number of orders in the pre-holiday months,
• putting aside amounts on deposits and savings accounts.
• organizing a sale - the word "sale" usually works like a magnet for the customer. An entrepreneur who, for example, runs a winter equipment store, may carry out a sale of this equipment during the summer.
• taking leave and granting it to employees during the holiday period - when there are fewer orders, i.e. you do not need many hands to work.
• selling three products for the price of two (the so-called multi-item),
• sale of items in a package, e.g. purchase of a diving suit with accessories.
• adding a small gift or gadget for free, e.g. with a company logo or a seasonal accessory, e.g. sunscreen
• discounts on products, promotions with a limited duration.
• summer promotions,
• introduction of the so-called happy days / happy hours - on days or hours when customers have a lower purchase price,
• inclusion of seasonal products in the offer - e.g. if the entrepreneur runs a clothes shop, during the holiday period you can add bathing suits, sandals, straw hats, etc.
• when the number of customers decreases - increase your marketing efforts to make yourself known

Customer holiday trips and your own vacation plans do not have to be an obstacle in running your own business. Although self-employed people need to prepare in advance for the summer holidays, thanks to the above methods, they can survive the summer stagnation without having to suspend their business.

In addition, holiday time, when there are fewer customers, can be used for catching up, company analysis, strategic planning or marketing activities.