How to Design Your Summer Business Plan to Get the Most Out of It

Summer is a season of sun, fun, and planning new professional successes — and it's the perfect time to develop a business plan to give you an edge over the competition.

This article aims to give you a clear roadmap for designing a novel and effective summer business plan, so if you’re ready to make this season your most productive yet, read on.

Summer is the perfect time for businesses to explore new avenues of growth, as longer daylight hours and relaxed energy take hold. As people adjust their daily routines and spend more time outdoors, consumer behavior shifts, creating new engagement opportunities. This change of pace allows businesses to connect with their audiences in unique and effective ways.

“Summer opens up a space where businesses can thrive by capitalizing on shifts in consumer moods and interests,” said Jonathan Zacharias, founder of GR0.

These months therefore become strategic periods for businesses to naturally adapt to their customers' seasonal lifestyle changes and drive organic growth and increased awareness.

Creating a summer business plan means making the most of the benefits that summer has to offer. Below, we'll outline the essential steps to keep your business humming and thriving during this sunny season.

To capitalize on the special business opportunities of summer, it's important to start with comprehensive market research. Understand how seasonal trends influence consumer behavior and identify what entices your target audience during this time of year.

Rhett Buttle, founder of Public Private Strategies, emphasizes in a Forbes article that, “Along the way from having a business idea to deciding to start a small business, you need to understand who will buy your product or service.”

This insight will provide the basis for targeted and effective summer planning.

Once you've done your research, the next step is to set specific, measurable goals. What do you want to accomplish by the end of the summer?

“Whether it's increasing sales, expanding your customer base or launching a new product, a clear goal will guide your actions and help you measure success,” says Cody Candee, founder and CEO of Bounce.

Setting goals that correspond with summer trends will help align your business with customer needs and market opportunities.

Next, translate your goals into actionable strategies. This step requires you to create a detailed plan that outlines how you're going to achieve your goal.

“Consider different marketing strategies, product offerings and special events that coincide with the summer season,” says Maggie Brown, founder and CEO of Recess Pickleball, a company that specializes in pickleball paddles.

By researching and developing innovative strategies aligned with your goals, you can stand out and capture the attention of your target market during these competitive times.

Once you have your strategy set, deciding where to allocate your resources should be your first priority. While you have budgets for marketing and product development, you need to allocate your employees’ energy where it’s needed most.

“Effective resource allocation will ensure that every dollar and time spent is making the most of summer opportunities,” said Tumblr co-founder Justin Soleimani. “Smart resource allocation will increase the effectiveness of your summer strategy.”

This approach ensures that all resources are optimized to support business objectives throughout the season.

Once the resources are in place, it's time to roll out your strategy. Create a detailed implementation plan that schedules each activity and assigns responsibilities. This roadmap should clearly define what needs to be done, who needs to do it, and when.

“A solid execution plan helps set the pace and stay focused on summer goals. It helps ensure all team members understand their roles and deadlines,” says Anand Nara, CEO of Ghost Golf, a company known for its golf bags.

Clarity and accuracy of planning play a key role in the smooth and efficient execution of business strategies.

Finally, keep a close eye on the progress of your summer plan with continuous monitoring. This step is a smart way to understand what is working and what is not. Regular evaluation allows for timely adjustments and ensures your strategy is always responsive according to market trends and consumer feedback.

“Continuous monitoring and the ability to pivot is essential to sustaining growth in a summer market that is in flux,” said Shaunaq Amin, CEO and co-founder of Stadium.

This adaptability can make the difference between a good summer and a great summer, as it allows your business to stay relevant and competitive.

What are some summer strategies to consider to help your business thrive?

Once you have a smart business plan in place, you can augment it with targeted summer strategies. Here's how to seamlessly integrate these tactics into your seasonal fluctuations.

Summer calls for special products and services that match the seasonal vibe. Introducing seasonal products can attract customers who are looking to make the most of their summer experience.

“Products that reflect the leisure and pleasure of summer can significantly increase customer interest and sales,” said Brian Welker, vice president of growth marketing at L-Nutra, known for its proprietary fasting mimicking diet (FMD), Prolon.

By adjusting your products according to the season, you can meet consumer demand and differentiate yourself from your competitors.

Summer is a great time to promote your business, with a plethora of events, from street fairs to music festivals. Capitalizing on these gatherings can help boost your visibility and provide a chance to engage directly with potential customers.

Greg Hannley, founder and CEO of Soba Texas, emphasized that “using local festivals allows us to activate our brand outside of our stores – right in the middle of our target audience.”

Engaging with customers in places they're already having fun makes your marketing feel like part of a summer celebration, not a sales pitch.

Summer brings more online activity, so strengthening your digital presence can help you gain more traction. Social media platforms are a great way to launch interactive campaigns, share vibrant seasonal content, and host summer-themed virtual events.

“A well-timed digital strategy over the summer can turn passive scrolling into active engagement and drive more traffic to your platform,” says George Fraguio, vice president of Bridge Lending at Vaster.

Using digital tools effectively will not only help your business stay relevant, but it will also help you connect with your audience during their relaxing downtime.

Sunny summer days bring people outdoors, creating a great opportunity for outdoor advertising. Advertise in a bustling park, on a popular street corner or along a busy promenade, and you can reach people where they are most comfortable and ready to engage with your message.

“Bright, eye-catching advertising in busy outdoor locations provides a direct reach to potential customers as they soak up the summer sun,” said Cadence Petroleum CEO Bob Craycraft.

Leveraging outdoor advertising during these times allows your brand to become part of the summer landscape, blending seamlessly into people's seasonal habits and increasing awareness in places that matter.

You can also expand your marketing reach and introduce your products and services to new audiences by forming strategic partnerships over the summer. Working with local businesses, event organizers, or complementary brands can create synergies that can engage the community and expand your market presence.

Partnering with other businesses during the summer can help you create buzz, drive engagement, and provide mutual benefits that resonate with your customer base. These partnerships can increase your exposure and brand appeal by partnering with established businesses. These partnerships can help you turn your casual summer crowd into engaged customers and extend your influence through joint promotional efforts.

Tailoring your customer loyalty program for summer can significantly improve engagement and retention. Incorporating seasonal themes into your offers, such as special discounts on summer items or extra points for holiday purchases, can encourage both new and existing customers to engage more frequently and deeply.

“Building trust with customers is hard, and today's wealth gap, combined with rising inflation over the past few years, makes it even harder,” Christine Alemany, chief marketing officer at i2c, told Harvard Business Review.

Strategically designed loyalty programs that provide real value to address these challenges can build stronger customer relationships. Showing your customers that you understand their needs and respect their financial constraints can help your business stay relevant and build customer loyalty.

With your summer business plan and strategy in place, you'll be ready to harness the season's potential. Making the most of this sun-soaked time of year with a plan that reflects the dynamic nature of summer will help you turn challenges into opportunities and propel your business forward.

Engage, innovate and connect. Summer is your time to shine and show how adaptable and responsive your business is. May it be a season of growth, engagement and success!