Jake Snelson - Vyde

Turn Your Summer Business Trip into a Family Vacation

Question: I’m headed to a vacation hot spot on a business trip this summer and I’d love to enjoy it while I’m there. How can I bring my family along while keeping this a work trip, and share the expense? What are the rules? Answer: You can have your cake and eat it too! Grab your flip flops and beach towels and surprise the family with some summer fun. Here’s how to make it happen.

To claim deductions for a business trip turned family vacation:

– Keep all of your receipts from a business trip. For easy and organized tips on doing this, visit this post.-Set up your out-of-town meetings for late in the week and early into the next, giving you time for family fun over the weekend. The IRS frowns on one or two days of meetings, with five days of fun tacked on the end; but, by scheduling it over a weekend, the longer trip is necessary.– Separate business expenses from personal expenses. For example, you can write off your airline ticket, but not your family’s so you’ll need to book them separately or separate the expense in your books. You’ll also need to split the meal checks, tickets for entertainment, ball games, shows, and other things that cost money on the trip. You can deduct those expenses for yourself, but not for others. Your family and friends are not considered “essential” for the business trip.– If the trip is primarily business, your expenses to and from the destination are deductible. If it starts as a planned family vacation and you add a little business in at the last minute, transportation to and from the destination is not deductible. However, if you drive to the meetings instead of fly, your miles driven are tax deductible, regardless of whether you have the family along.– If you spend less on transportation by staying until Saturday, the IRS has indicated it will generally consider that extra stay time as a business expense.– Meals are only 50% deductible, even if they’re business meals.– If you doubt it is a business expense, it probably isn’t. Remember that business expenses should be ordinary and necessary, even when traveling. Scuba diving is hard to justify as a business expense, no matter how much business talk is done underwater. Keep in mind that the IRS is vigilant about tracking expenses while on a business trip. Plan on a bit of extra preparation and work to make it happen and don’t forget the sunscreen when you go!

Grow Your Business Through Referrals

The single most powerful selling tool for any small business can be summed up in one simple word: REFERRALS. People would rather do business with people they know (or know of) than strangers. That’s how it’s always been. Think about it from the other perspective. When you’re introduced to a new service or product by someone you know and trust, you’re more open to it than you would be if someone had cold called you and asked you to make a purchase. Referrals are an immensely powerful and underused tool for small business owners that can help their sales explode. Here are a few tips on soliciting referrals tactfully and using them to your advantage.

Just ask. Yep, it’s that easy. Except that you can’t just park your social media links on the sidebar of your website and expect that your clients are going to jump on and share your brilliance. Instead, make it personal. If you’re in an email exchange with a client, write a note of genuine gratitude for their support or purchase. At the end, a simple statement of “I’d really appreciate an honest review about your experience on xyx site” can make all the difference. Make sure the timing is right when you ask though. It should be in the midst of delivering excellent customer service or shortly thereafter. Don’t be shy to ask a second time in a later follow-up email if the client said they would and then didn’t follow through.
Make it easy. Most clients won’t jump through hoops to refer you, regardless of how much they love you. Your referral process should be incredibly painless, as in, the click of a button easy. Rather than saying “I’d appreciate if you would hop over to Facebook and leave me a review,” try hyperlinking the text within the email directly to your page.
Set up a reward system. Rather than putting all of your focus on potential newcomers, reward your loyal clients. Give them access to new products, free trials, coupon codes, discounts, cash, or an entry for a large prize for their efforts in referring your business. They’re more likely to continue referring you to people they know.
Give and Take. Don’t expect to receive hundreds of referrals if you aren’t doing your part, too. Put out a good word for the services and products you buy and recognize the hard work of the entrepreneurs behind those businesses as well.
Make it a Habit. Don’t just ask for referrals on clients who are already expressing their love for your product. Make it a habit to solicit a review from every client. Your pitch doesn’t have to sound sales-y either; just make it a quick “hey, if you have a second, let’s connect over on xyz site!”

At the end of the day, referrals are about relationships and people supporting people. Don’t try to buy referrals and don’t get discouraged if you didn’t get a referral where you’d really like one. Slow and steady wins the race–and gets you a lot of great referrals, too!

How to Choose the Best Social Media Platforms for Small Business

What do you do when consumers are becoming increasingly focused on social media, while your business is still focusing on the awesome product or service you sell? It’s time to get serious about an online marketing plan. In order to get the most bang for your buck online, you’ll need to utilize social media for your business–no matter what you are selling.

Here are a few things to consider before diving into social media:

The first and most important thing is to decide how you are currently communicating with your audience online and how you would like to communicate with them in the future. Think about these three channels of communication.

Text. The easiest and most informative way to communicate online is through text. Channels such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, blogs, and good ol’ emails are a great way to communicate messages–long or short–to your audience about the latest happenings with your business.
Images. Any business can and should be incorporating still images into their online marketing plan. Images should be carefully chosen to convey messages to an audience and should not overpower the main goal of the post. Social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and Pinterest are image-focused and can be great for promoting a business. Still images should also be included in emails, and profile/cover photos should be present on every social media platform your business engages in.
Audio/Video. Periscope, Youtube, and Vimeo are great for sharing messages through audio or video. These can come in the form of tutorials on how to use your product, interviews with people who love your product, funny behind the scenes happenings around the office, or tips and tricks on how your service or product can improve your customer’s life. The possibilities of using videos for marketing are endless, but this method of reaching consumers through social media is a bit more time consuming. You don’t have to invest in fancy equipment to use videos in your marketing plan, but it does take a bit more commitment to create a video that engages your audience.

A business owner on top of their social media game (which sometimes means hiring an employee whose main job is to manage social media) will aim for doing a little of everything. However, you don’t have to do it all to be recognized and look professional on social media. Here are a few tips from Vyde’s marketing team to make it happen for your small business.

Choose a few social media channels and do them well. Don’t feel like you have to manage every single (and old) social media platform out there. Determine how much time you have to spend on social media for business and divide that by 3 or 4 — that’s about how many social media channels most small business owners can manage at first. In fact, many find that 3 or 4 is even too many to handle.
Snag your username on all social media platforms, even if you won’t use them right now. Plan to use your 2-4 platforms well, but be sure to claim your space on certain channels you think you might use in the future. There are many people out there who will sign up for a social media account or domain under a business name and then try to sell it back to the business owner for an outrageous amount of money. Avoid this mishap by grabbing your business name on the channels you’re interested in now and then focusing on them later. You don’t have to advertise every social media channel you’re signed up for–just bring the attention to the ones you’re actively using.
Sign up for Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google+. Here’s why:
- Facebook attracts the widest variety of users. All of your customers are on Facebook (with a few exceptions), young and old. With over one billion users, it has an audience too large to ignore. Facebook is easy to use and offers the flexibility of text images, and videos all in one place.
- LinkedIn is a professional network that is more serious in nature, but one that all small business owners should be on. There are over 230 million LinkedIn users and 2.7 million business pages already on LinkedIn. You don’t necessarily have to maintain a business page on LinkedIn, but as a business owner, you should absolutely have a personal account that is updated regularly.
- A Google+ page for your business will help Google generate search results for your business that includes: the name of your business, where it is located on a map, reviews, contact and location information, and even photos. Google is the tried and true search engine for anyone and everyone, and if you’re not showing up on Google, you’re missing out.
- Other social media channels that are great for business include: YouTube, Instagram, Yelp, Reddit, Pinterest, FourSquare, Tumblr, Twitter, Periscope, and Snapchat. Venture onto those social media platforms in the future, when you can create a marketing plan and use them skillfully.

Keep in mind that it doesn’t matter what you’re signed up for or how often you post about your business when it comes to social media. What really matters is that you’re generating thoughtful, meaningful, and original content that will engage your current and potential customers.

FAQs for Social Media Marketing Strategies:

Why should my small business prioritize social media marketing?

In today’s digital age, social media is a crucial avenue for engaging with customers and expanding brand visibility, regardless of your business type.

What are the key communication channels to consider for social media marketing?

Text, images, and audio/video content are essential channels for conveying messages online, with platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube offering diverse options.

How can I effectively manage social media platforms without feeling overwhelmed?

Focus on a select few platforms and prioritize quality over quantity. Allocate time based on your capacity, aiming to excel on 3 to 4 platforms rather than spreading too thin.

Why is it important to secure usernames on social media platforms, even if not actively using them?

Claiming your business name prevents others from exploiting it and ensures consistency across platforms, facilitating brand recognition and trust among customers.

Which social media platforms are essential for small businesses and why?

Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google+ offer diverse user bases and distinct advantages for brand visibility, customer engagement, and search engine optimization (SEO). Other platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter also hold potential for strategic marketing efforts.

Planning Your Summer Marketing Efforts Part 2: Celebrating Holidays & Events

itius. Altius. Fortius. Faster, higher, stronger – the Olympic motto will be heard often this summer and can be applied to small business marketing, as well as athletic endeavors. Share in the excitement surrounding this summer’s holidays and events to add some inexpensive pizazz to your marketing efforts. Here are few important dates and tips as you plan your summer marketing strategy:

Be Patriotic: Memorial Day 5/30 & Independence Day 7/4. Fly the red, white and blue to celebrate the patriotic days of summer. Did you know that the 4th of July is #4 on the list of holidays most celebrated in the U.S.A? (Right after Christmas, Halloween, and Thanksgiving.) Run promotions and sales of products and services that correspond to these holidays and wish customers a happy holiday on social media as these posts are well-liked and shared.
#Olympics2016. Get ready to cheer August 5-21 – the Summer Olympics are in Rio and it is going to be a party! Carry the red, white and blue theme all summer to support Team USA. Join the #Olympics conversation on social media, cheering for favorites and sharing your own personal stories of Olympic favs and experiences, as well as popular posts. Take your cheering from the couch to your business by supporting local athletes at all levels.
Celebrate Labor Day. This bookend summer holiday is a great place to host a promotion or giveaway. Wrap up your summer marketing with solid Labor Day sales, advertising them well in advance for best results.
Join in local events. There is bound to be lots going on in your area this summer. Whether it is the Warrior Dash fun run, Movies in the Park, Stadium of Fire, Shakespeare on the Beach, or Rooftop Cinema Club, add your small business to the list of supporters by donating goods or tweets, attending, or simply adding your advertising of the activity in your store or site. It is common practice to reach out to event organizers offering a reciprocal social media share – you share their event on social media or in store, they’ll share your site or store details on social media.
Use a variety of marketing strategies. Summer is filled with vacations, family reunions, and get-togethers, so increase the number of times you connect with customers so they don’t miss your special or sale. Email blasts, text message reminders, phone calls – however you connect with customers make sure it has a clear, consistent, and compelling message about the benefits you provide through your products and services. Social media heats up during the summer with everyone posting photos about travels and fun. Keep your brand and message top of mind by posting often – and reposting popular and informative posts. If foot traffic is key to your business, add visual reminders of promotions and deals near the door and register, where customers linger, to grab their attention and promote sales.
Practice. Practice. Practice. Win. Take advice from the athletes – it takes a lot of practice to be an Olympian. Make a plan for the summer, practice a bit every day to improve and expand your marketing efforts. If something is working, do it more often. If something isn’t working, tweak it. It is consistent effort day after day that leads to greatness.

Did you catch our first post on planning your summer marketing efforts. You can read tips on planning the who, what when, and where of summer business events here.

For cheap advertising tips in the summer, visit this post.

4 Questions Small Business Owners Should Ask Before Offering Health Insurance

Small business owners with 50 or less employees are not required to offer health insurance to their employees under the Affordable Care Act. However, if you fall into this 50 or less category, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t offer health insurance benefits. There are just a few questions you should ask first:

How much can you afford to spend on health insurance for your employees? Keep in mind that if you offer health insurance to your employees, you don’t have to carry the cost alone. Typically health insurance premiums are split between the employer and the employee and you can be responsible for anywhere between 0 and 100% of those costs. As a general rule, though, most employers pay around 50% of the premiums for their employees. According to a Kaiser Family Foundation study, the average cost of a group health plan was about $6,000 in 2014. This would come out to be around $3,000 minimum per employee. This price fluctuates greatly between the different types of plans, so it’s best to do some research of your own before deciding whether it’s in your budget.
Do your employees need health coverage? Rather than just assuming your employees want health insurance benefits, you might be better off to simply come out and ask them if they’re interested in employer-provided coverage. If you only have a few employees on your team, there’s a good chance they have health insurance through their spouse or a private plan that they’re happy with. It’s best to have an open and honest conversation with your employees about their current coverage and find a situation that suits you both.
Will you need to offer multiple types of plans for your employees? If a one-size-fits-all plan will work for your employees, that keeps things simple. However, if your employees are diverse in age, expecting to have children in the near future, or deal with a chronic condition, they may require more individualized plans. Some employees may be happy with paying higher premiums each month, especially if they require frequent care, while others rarely visit a doctor and want to pay the lowest premium possible. These are just a few things to take into consideration before deciding on which health insurance plan to offer your employees.
Can your employees handle purchasing health insurance on their own? There are a number of advantages and disadvantages to employer-provided health insurance for employees. If your employees seem happy with purchasing their own or using their spouse’s insurance, that might be the best and most cost-effective situation for your company. You might even prefer to give your employees a stipend, rather than offer a group plan, so they can buy insurance on their own but still feel valued by their employer.

As your company grows and changes with time, you may decide you need to offer health insurance to your employees. It’s best to reevaluate your benefits on a yearly basis and update them as needed.

How to Raise Your Credit Score in 5 Easy Steps

A great credit score is desirable for all and achievable for anyone who is willing to work for it. As you know, a good credit doesn’t happen overnight, and damaged scores take time to repair.

First, what is a credit score exactly? Everyone has one, but they can be confusing to understand. A credit score is a number assigned to an individual based on their financial behavior. Financial institutions use this score to determine whether you’d be a good borrower. Scores range from 300 to 850. Very few people have a perfect score; however, anything in the mid to upper 700s is considered great. A high credit score opens up opportunities for you to borrow money and do business with lenders.

Here are a few ways to raise your credit score and improve your financial standing, regardless of where you stand right now.

Check your credit report. You should start by checking your score and seeing where you’re at. Your initial score might surprise you. Late payments, using too much of your allowed amount and having too many lines of credit can all effect your credit score. If you have any negative dings on your credit, you’ll need to work to repair it. If your credit report contains false information, contact the financial institution involved and resolve it with them. The financial institution can work with you to straighten the problem out and increase your score.
Pay down your debt. Without any debt at all, you’d never have a credit score. Your ability to pay back your borrowed money, or debt, is what generates your credit score. That being said, you don’t need to accrue a lot of debt to have a good score. In fact, quite the contrary. Improve your score by paying down your debt and keep your balance under 30% of the credit limit. If your score is low, slow your credit card spending for a while, pay down your debts, and watch your credit climb.
Be on time, every time. One late payment affects your credit score negatively, so that’s the worst thing you can do as you’re trying to improve your credit. Pay early or on time every time and your score will slowly but surely climb.
Stop opening new lines of credit. Despite popular opinion, having a lot of open lines of credit doesn’t give you a great credit score. It’s best to have a few lines of credit that you can manage responsibly, rather than multiple accounts that can get out of hand in a hurry.
Most importantly, be patient. No matter what you do, your credit score won’t jump 100 points overnight, or even in a week. There is no instant gratification when building or repairing a credit score, but with slow, steady, and consistent efforts on your part, your score is sure to improve.

9 Ways to Negotiate Better

Good negotiators know it’s not all about winning. Great negotiators understand that the best case scenario almost always involves a win for each party. The goal of any worthwhile negotiation is to leave both sides with a feeling of value and a mutual benefit. Successful negotiations require a bit of planning, prep work, and compromise.

Here are 9 quick tips to help you negotiate better.

Clearly define your goal(s). Don’t turn a good negotiation into a battle of pride. You can do this by deciding beforehand what terms absolutely have to be met, and which are optional. Do your homework to see at what point continuing to negotiate begins to cost you or your business too much time or money. It doesn’t hurt to write the non-negotiables out on paper for a quick reference and reminder.
Determine the value of everything that is at stake. Decide beforehand what is of value to you, and what you’d be willing to budge on. If you’re negotiating the terms of a promotion, for example, you may decide that accepting a slightly lower salary with a full range of benefits is more beneficial than a higher salary with lesser benefits.
Establish ground rules. It’s a good idea to set some ground rules before entering the negotiation with a quick email or phone call. This is especially true if you feel that the person you’re going to be negotiating with is less than honest or may have difficulty communicating with you.
Don’t make the first move. Avoid giving away more than you need to by holding back a bit and allowing the other party to speak first. You don’t know what their aspirations are and it’s best to get those out on the table before you begin to define yours. Talking too much could leave you worse off than talking too little.
Don’t give up something without getting something. Negotiating is a give-and-take process, and the key to any successful negotiation is a foundation of trust and communication. When a party asks for a concession, respond with “what will you give in return?” before you make your decision.
Give a little, but not too much. Again, successful negotiations benefit both parties. Avoid giving away too much in order to impress or keep a client/vendor/customer on the line. If you feel that too much is being asked of you in the negotiation without any benefit on your part, it’s okay to take the time to reconsider or even walk away.
Don’t overreach. It’s never a good idea to go into a negotiation with wild aspirations and far-fetched demands. Keep in mind what you’re realistically going to gain in the negotiation, and shoot for that. Put yourself in the opposite party’s situation and consider what you’d do if you were being asked the same.
Focus on what you will do. Keep the conversation positive and shed light on the will-do’s and can-do’s rather than the negatives. Try to avoid saying “no” outright, but rather wording it as “I will do this, if you will do that.”
Don’t be afraid to walk away. Remember the bottom line and stick to it. It’s not much different from buying a car. No matter how good of a deal the salesman says he’s making you, no matter how many extras he throws in, if he won’t come down to the price you want, it’s a losing deal on your end.

Let us know how these tips have helped you negotiate better. Do you have any other tips that can help in negotiations?

Frequently Asked Questions:

Why is it important to clearly define negotiation goals?
Clear goals prevent negotiations from becoming adversarial, helping both parties understand what’s essential for a successful outcome.
How do I determine the value of what’s at stake in a negotiation?
Evaluate priorities and alternatives to determine what concessions are acceptable, ensuring a balanced and beneficial outcome.
Why should ground rules be established before negotiations?
Ground rules foster transparency and facilitate productive discussions, especially in potentially challenging or dishonest interactions.
Why avoid making the first move in negotiations?
Allowing the other party to reveal their aspirations first provides valuable insight and prevents overcommitting or revealing too much too soon.
Is it advisable to walk away from a negotiation?
Yes, knowing your bottom line and being willing to walk away reinforces your position and ensures you don’t settle for unfavorable terms.

Top 10 Accounting Terms Every Small Business Owner Should Know

As a small business owner, you’re not expected to know the ins and outs of accounting…until you are. It isn’t until some kind of financial crisis happens that many small business owners are hit with the hard reality of what they don’t know when it comes to their books. We don’t expect you to know every definition in the accounting dictionary, but here are the top 10 accounting terms every small business owner should be aware of:

Net Income: (AKA profit!) This term is sometimes referred to as ‘net profit’ or ‘earnings,’ but no matter what you call it, your net income is what’s left after your all of business expenses are subtracted from your earnings.
Balance Sheet: A statement of the company’s financial position shown in terms of assets, liabilities and ownership equity for a specific period of time. This is a snapshot of the small business’ current financial position. The difference between the total assets and total liabilities is known as the company’s net worth. Basic accounting rules tell us that a company’s net worth must be equal to the assets minus the liabilities. We talked about balance sheets a bit more in this video.
Income Statement: We also call this a profit and loss statement. An income statement is a summary of the company’s profits and losses during a period of time, usually a month. Income statements show all money earned during the month, as well as the operating expenses. Learn more about profit and loss statements in this video.
Deduction: If you’ve been running a small business for any length of time, you’ve heard the hype about deductions. Basically, a deduction is any money spent to run the business, which in turn reduces your year-end taxable income. Deductions are great for lowering tax bills for small business owners.
Asset: An asset is any item owned by the business that is expected to last several years. Assets normally refer to larger or more expensive items like cars, office furniture or computer equipment. If you are going to lease or rent property to tenants, it can include rental houses or improvements made to business property. General office supplies are not considered assets, but can be used as deductions.
Liability: A business liability is an obligation that came about from a prior transaction done by the business. In accounting, a liability is assigned a dollar value and the business is responsible for repayment of that amount in the future.
Revenue: Refers to all the money made by a company doing what a company does–whether they’re selling products or services, revenue is the total amount of money made. Sometimes you’ll see revenue referred to as “gross income.”
Accounts Receivable: When you’ve sold products or services to a person or company that have not been paid, this is considered your accounts receivable. Your accounts receivable can be listed as assets on your balance sheet.
Accounts Payable: This includes any bills you have yet to pay for your small business. The sum of all your accounts payables are listed as a current liability on your balance sheet.
Tax Credit: this number is subtracted from the final amount of taxes you owe the IRS come tax season. If you have $1,000 worth of tax credits and you owe $8,000 in taxes, you’ll only pay $7,000.

Brush up on these quick need-to-know accounting terms and stay in the know about the basics of your small business bookkeeping and accounting.

4 Low-Cost and Low-Risk Ways to Grow Your Team

A few months ago, we polled our Vyde clients about one of their biggest challenges as a small business owner. The results were overwhelmingly similar, with “growing my team” coming in at the top spot. We’ve compiled a few low-cost and low-risk suggestions to help you grow your team.

Start an internship program. There’s nothing better than fresh minds and free labor, is there? It’s what makes interns a great way to grow your team. Contact universities and community colleges (they don’t even need to be local) about setting up an internship program. Most college students need an internship before they graduate, and taking advantage of this opportunity to bring on a potential new employee (but with no obligation) is a win for both parties. Pros are that you don’t have to pay them or hire them long-term, they may bring new ideas to your business and turn into an integral part of your team, and you have the opportunity to help them jump-start their career, even if it’s not with you. Cons are some legwork involved in starting up an internship program, your intern may not be a good fit for your team, and you might have to take extra time out of your day to teach them the ins and outs of daily work at your company.
Hire your family members to work for you. Yes, even your kids. Whether you’re bringing them on as a full-time employee, or simply paying your kids to clean the office building, family members can be an effective way to grow your team. After all, you already know them, you trust them, and you can count on them. Keep in mind that hiring family members can sometimes cause contention and strained relationships though, so be sure to treat it like a business from the very beginning. We outlined some tips for hiring family members in this post from a while back.
Outsource some of your work, rather than bringing on more employees. This sounds a little counter-intuitive in a post about growing your team, but hear me out. Outsourcing some of your work–tasks like graphic design, accounting, small business bookkeeping, copywriting, social media management, etc–can give you time to focus on building a solid team within the office. Freeing up your time allows you more time to train others, interview, and get the right fit. Also, when you outsource these tasks, it’s like a trial run for a potentially permanent job. You only have to pay them for the tasks they do, but if they knock your socks off with their work, you may consider bringing them on as a part-time, full-time, or remote employee. Sites like upwork.com, fiverr.com, and even your local classifieds are a great place to find talented freelancers who are ready to work.
Take the time to hire the right fit, not the quick fit. Going along with number three, hiring the right fit is the best way to grow your team effectively. And, probably, the least expensive. Hiring new employees can cost quite a bit between background checks, drug tests, trainings, certifications, and more. You don’t want to do it more than you have to, so taking your time during the interview process can really help to make sure you get it right. You might consider hiring on a temporary or trial basis and then transitioning the right employee into full-time.

What are your favorite tips on growing your team effectively?

Planning Your Summer Marketing Efforts Part 1: Who, What, When, and Where

Even if there’s still blustery spring weather where you’re at, it’s not too early to start planning out the summer for your small business. Marketing can be difficult in the summer as many consumers tend to focus less on business and more on family fun. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t engage your clients in your business during those long hot months. Getting an early start on summer planning helps those promotions and events run smoothly and eases your stress. Use the month of April to quickly map out the who, what, when, and where of your summertime business plans.

Who: Make two lists here. Who #1 is which of your employees is in charge of what summer events and promotions. Let them know what aspects they’ll be managing and what the expectations are. Who #2 is the people you are reaching. Are you planning extra appreciation around your current customers and clients with a summer party? Or are you planning to launch marketing promotions solely to grow your current clientele? Knowing the people involved and the audience behind your summertime marketing efforts is key to success.
What: Don’t overdo it, but set ambitious goals for your company. Make a plan for reaching x amount of employees or $xyz in sales by the end of the summer and plan the “what” to make it happen. It could be digital marketing, like a series of blog posts or email campaigns; on your site, like coupons or summer sales and specials; or physical, like a party, an ice cream social, or a softball tournament. Of course, not all of these events would work for all businesses, so choose what works for you and your clients and roll with it.
When: Keep key summer holidays in mind when planning your events. Something like a digital coupon or email promotion will work better over Memorial Day, Labor Day, or the Fourth of July, but obviously physical parties and in-person events may not attract as much of a crowd during these family-centered holidays. Use the holidays to your advantage, but make sure you do so properly from a marketing perspective. Summertime is busy for everyone, so plan events around what works for your clients and employees who will help you reach your goals, not the other way around. Do some research and post the events on social media/send emails around the time of day that your targeted audience is most interactive.
Where: If you’re holding in-person parties and events this summer, be sure to book your locations early. April and May is a great time to book pavilion, parks, and events centers for events happening in July and August. You’d be surprised at how quickly they fill up.

By getting the larger details of your marketing promotions laid out early, you can save yourself a lot of time and stress down the road. The small details like specific email text, party decorations, and what food to serve can be delegated to employees and worked out in May or June. Maximize those warm fun summer months to grow your business and have some fun with clients and employees.

See part 2 and part 3 of our summertime marketing series for even more great tips.

Resources

Author: Jake Snelson

Turn Your Summer Business Trip into a Family Vacation

To claim deductions for a business trip turned family vacation:

Grow Your Business Through Referrals

How to Choose the Best Social Media Platforms for Small Business

FAQs for Social Media Marketing Strategies:

Why is it important to secure usernames on social media platforms, even if not actively using them?

Which social media platforms are essential for small businesses and why?

Planning Your Summer Marketing Efforts Part 2: Celebrating Holidays & Events

Other posts that might interest you

4 Questions Small Business Owners Should Ask Before Offering Health Insurance

How to Raise Your Credit Score in 5 Easy Steps

9 Ways to Negotiate Better

Here are 9 quick tips to help you negotiate better.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Top 10 Accounting Terms Every Small Business Owner Should Know

4 Low-Cost and Low-Risk Ways to Grow Your Team

Other posts that might interest you

Planning Your Summer Marketing Efforts Part 1: Who, What, When, and Where

Other posts that might interest you

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