Do you let your business sit idly by over the Summer holidays?
We totally get it. The school holidays are for you and your loved ones. One of the main reasons you probably decided to start running your own business was so that you could pick which hours you did and didn’t work. Your business can fit in with your lifestyle, and therefore the Summer Holidays are family time. Rightly so!
But, that doesn’t mean that the best practice is to leave your business collecting dust for 6 weeks. It’s a great idea to do small bits here and there that will benefit your business, setting you up to start again in September with your best foot forward.
Here’s a few tips on what you can do over the summer to help your business.
Start advertising your Autumn classes now
For some parents & guardians, there’s a dread for the long summer break. With a reduced amount of activities available, a lot of families like to plan ahead and start booking their activities for September.
If you make your schedule available before the rest of the crowd, you can be guaranteed to start appearing in those searches. A lot of providers leave their September admin until the week or two before term starts. Jump on it now to get ahead of the curve.
Find out how you can set up your September classes (for free!) on Happity here
Run a “Summer special” class to keep your business running through the Summer holidays
Like we mentioned above, some families don’t look forward to the school holidays. If their kids are under school age, then your activity was probably a great relief from the daily grind at home.
We wouldn’t say you need to do a full schedule over the summer, but you would be surprised at how much of a demand there is for summer specials. If you can offer one or two sessions over the break, maybe in a local park or outdoor venue if you’re looking for a change of scenery. Or you could even venture to the beach!
Young families with only babies, toddler and pre-schoolers don’t work in terms and will be super grateful for something to do.
We’ve written up some tips and general guidance on what you would need to consider if you wanted to set up an outdoor special here
Don’t let your business have zero web presence over the summer
A social media detox is something that is heavily encouraged to people of all walks of life. For entrepreneurs of small businesses (who run the whole show, and star in it!) it can be easy to get caught up in socials, or even become addicted. Therefore, reducing the amount you’re using it for the Summer holidays is a great idea for your mental health.
However, even if you don’t have classes running, we would still encourage you to post semi-regularly (just a few times a week) to stay on people’s radar. You don’t need to spend tons of time on it, just keep it in check.
If you’re not sure what to share, here’s a couple of ideas:
- Biz updates, and updates on your next term.
- Class videos and images.
- Blogs that you’ve written.
- Personal updates.
- Polls to find out their preferences for activities.
- Activity suggestions for your followers to do over the holidays while your classes aren’t running.
Wear your brand at every opportunity
The Summer holidays offers some unique opportunities for your business. Including summer fete’s, events, and festivals!
They’re a slightly different ballpark to if you’re used to running an indoor event, or only running 1 or 2 sessions in a private room. However, they’re a great way to get your brand out there, and also provides for a nice day trip out with your family.
If you’re planning on going to family events / festivals locally over the summer, but not attending as an activity provider, then wear a company t-shirt anyway. It offers some free advertising and gets your brand seen by more eyes.
Make some new props for your classes
Use your break to prepare for September by cleaning all your equipment , or making fresh stuff! Keeping things looking shiny and just-like new. It will feel good for you and your class attendees.
Or, if your equipment all seem old and in tatters (laundry detergent and soapy bowl of water), then take some time to source new class equipment, fresh for the new term.
Take the time to research any changes you want for your business over the Summer
Mid-term, there may be things that you’ve been debating about changing but haven’t had the time to do your research or fully consider it. Well, now’s the time to take a look into it!
The Summer Holidays are the ideal time to do your research, figure out what changes are doable, and the steps needed to take. The sort of changes we’re talking about might include: taking time to visit new venues or searching for new music to play at your activity.
A useful tool to help you find new venues is the Happity Venue finder. You can find locations that already host baby and toddler classes, and spot what schedules are already running there.
Use the time to do admin & give your business a little TLC
If you don’t have the time to run a ‘Summer Special’, or do much of anything else on your list, then the one thing that you should spend your time doing is a bit of admin, a cleanup, and some old-fashioned marketing. We’d recommend doing some of the following:
- Leafleting and offline marketing (sharing them on supermarket noticeboards like Tesco)
- Updating websites where you are listed (including Happity)
- Make sure your Social Media profiles are up to date and have accurate descriptions.
- Make sure that your Happity profile is looking stunning!
Happity: Created with baby class providers in mind!
If you are looking for ease and a listing/booking service that’s catered specifically to you (busy parents and small business owners) then you are on the right blog page.
It’s free to list with Happity, and you can offer all sorts of ticket options through our site. Though we also offer cost-effective membership for when your baby class needs an extra boost in its marketing or if you would like access to our provider-catered booking system.
Get your classes seen by thousands of parents today
If you liked this post, you may also like:
17 tips to coping with the cost of living as a small business
Running an Outdoor Baby Class: 9 Things You Need To Consider
