5 Tips to Take Advantage of Your Summer Business
Summer presents a great opportunity to both acquire new customers, and retain those you already have by adapting to the demands of the season. Here are a few tips to make the most of tourism, increased foot traffic, warmer weather and more.
1. Bring it outside
Host and participate in outdoor events. For example: pop-up shops, festivals and fairs, local markets, etc. This will increase your business’ visibility in your community and beyond, potentially securing new markets. In the summer, people spend more time outdoors to enjoy the warmer weather. Prepare for and cater to this inclination. If you have a restaurant, consider installing a terrace by your entrance. For hotels, set up a backyard lounge area or swimming pool.
2. Join the fun
Scour your city’s summer calendar for large-scale events and find out where they’re happening. Advertising near venues receiving high amounts of tourists and foot traffic can draw customers to you. Furthermore, contact relevant event promoters and try to organize a business deal with them to offer special vouchers to their guests. It’s also a good idea to engage with social media in this instance. Join large conversations and boost your brand’s visibility by tweeting using the events’ official hashtags and accounts.
3. Be social
Continuing on the previous point, the season comes with increased social interaction. Ensure that your social media accounts are up-to-date, displaying posts and promotions that reflect your summer catalogue. Additionally, your marketing graphics and photos should feature lighter, more vibrant colors.
Online listings are also important for small and medium sized businesses. Use Google Places to get your brand on the map, you can also include descriptions and photos, coupons for customers, live updates (for example: a special summer menu), hours of operation, and more. There are also company listing websites that cater to tourists, such as: Yelp and TripAdvisor.
4. Re-merchandising
Often, stores will do a ‘summer flip.’ This means giving priority to seasonally relevant goods and services. For clothing shops and boutiques, dress window mannequins in weather-appropriate styles: dresses, shorts, t-shirts, tank tops, etc. Also display these items at the front of the store. Restaurants may want to consider changing their menu to offer summer beverages, such as: fresh orange juice, homemade ice tea, etc. Feature lighter dishes like salads, seafood and fruity desserts. Summer is also wedding season. Restaurants may want to offer catering, and beauticians and hairdressers may want to advertise a catalogue of bridal styles.
5. Cover staff vacation
Many people take time off during the summer. Schedule beforehand, and determine how many of your employees will be away and when. Organize handover procedures so no task is left undone. You may even want to hire seasonal or temporary employees. Examining your accounts for seasonal activity, over the last few years, will also help you estimate what the need will be.
Looking to boost your revenue this summer? Make the most of tourist season by accepting mobile card payments with SumUp.
