Are you wondering how you are going to run your business AND enjoy time with your family this summer? It can be stressful to think about how it’s going to work, but if you think about it, it’s only stressful because you don’t how it will look yet. If you follow these 7 steps to enjoy summer as a biz owner, you will feel so much better! 

 

 

If you’re feeling overwhelmed just thinking about balancing summer break, family time, and your business, you are not alone. This post will help you get your thoughts in the right mindset and give you some very clear action steps you can take today. A lot of times we just need to act, and that will relieve a lot of stress. Remember, action brings clarity!

These 7 steps to enjoy summer as a biz owner come from a sneak peek inside a coaching call I did with my Money Makers. If you are interested in learning more about what those coaching calls look like or in having more of your business questions answered, listen to my full podcast episode here. Otherwise, let’s jump into these 7 steps!

 

 

7 Steps to Enjoy Summer as a Biz Owner

How to Enjoy Summer as a Biz Owner | Step #1: Set expectations for you and your kids.

Setting expectations for you and your kids BEFORE summer starts is key. That way both of you know what to expect when summer comes around and you can jump right into your summer schedule without missing a beat. Setting expectations could look like you implementing quiet time with your kids every afternoon, letting your kids know when they can and cannot interrupt you when you’re working, etc. 

For example, my kids know there are two hours of quiet time every afternoon, so I look forward to having those two hours of uninterrupted work time. This expectation helps too because I can plan fun morning activities with my kids knowing I’ll have my scheduled work time later in the day–rather than stressing about when I will find time to work.

With that being said, make a decision on what your work schedule will look like NOW for the summertime. Are you going to work one hour every day? Are you going to work one day a week for 8 hours? Decide what you want to do and then set up the plans to make it happen. 

 

How to Enjoy Summer as a Biz Owner | Step #2: Create a simple schedule.

So, what does creating that schedule look like? I suggest keeping it simple. Do you want to work in the morning or afternoon? Work one day a week or multiple days? Which days? Plan out the playtime and work time for you and your kids ahead of time. Set up a clear schedule so your kids know what they should be doing at each part of their day. E.g. Pool/fun activity in the morning and then nap time/screen time in the afternoon, or chores, personal projects, etc.

This schedule will really depend on the age of your kids. So you can obviously alter yours with what works best for you and the stage of life you’re in right now. 

 

 

How to Enjoy Summer as a Biz Owner | Step #3: Look at your calendar.

OK, now it’s time to look at your calendar and then fill in all of the dates that you will be gone with your family on summer vacations. This will help visually see what your summer schedule looks like and help you plan out some business projects and workdays more easily.

Remember, one of the main reasons you are doing this business is so you can be flexible with your work and actually spend time with your kids and family. So, don’t feel stressed about balancing work and family time in the summer. It will work out, and that’s why we are doing it now before the summer actually gets here! Trust me, you’ll feel so much better after finishing these 7 steps to enjoy summer as a biz owner. 

I am not saying you need to spend 100 percent of your time with your kids in the summertime. That would be…nutty! Hahaha. Every mama needs a little time away!

Mindset Tip: If it helps you can tell yourself “I get to run a business and be with my family. I get to go on family vacations with my spouse and kids because of the type of work I do.” Any time you’re feeling stressed, just think of those “I get to…” phrases to help you put your mind at ease and practice gratitude.

 

How to Enjoy Summer as a Biz Owner | Step #4: Set 1-2 business goals for the summer.

Now it’s time to set 1-2 business goals for the summer. These can be really small that require minimal (but consistent) effort. I don’t usually launch any big products in the summer. I use summer as a time for growth. For example, if I am launching a new planner in the fall, then I’m going to do all the prep work in the summer to get that ready for my launch date. 

The summer is a great time to focus on growth because there are usually not any urgent deadlines you have to meet. So use this time to prep as much as you can for your “fourth quarter” of the year.

Pro Tip: When planning out your summer or choosing your biz goals, ask yourself, what do I need to do in the summer to set my fall season up for success?

 

How to Enjoy Summer as a Biz Owner | Step #5: Create a content calendar. 

Now it’s time to create your content calendar. I know…just hear me out. The reason why summer is so stressful is that you don’t know what to post and then you post last minute and then you feel like that post wasn’t that great. You know what I’m talking about, right? 

Do yourself a favor and create a content calendar so you can say goodbye to that stress forever. Setting up your content calendar and getting some core pieces of content made now that will be published in the summer is one of the best things you could do for yourself. Trust me, you will be thanking yourself when you’re content is already ready to go (and has been for weeks now) the night before you plan to leave on a family vacation! 

When putting together your content calendar, I always recommend choosing your core piece of content and then building your content calendar around that. If you aren’t familiar with my Core Content Code, check it out here! It is seriously a game-changer and will save you SO much time and stress when it comes to creating your content. 

 

 

How to Enjoy Summer as a Biz Owner | Step #6: Create your core pieces of content now before school is out. 

Alright, now it’s time to create your core pieces of content now before school is out. Decide which core pieces of content you can put together now, so you don’t have to do it while all of your kids are home for summer. 

Next, determine what type of content you are going to create and how often you are going to publish it. For example, if you do a podcast, you could decide to publish one episode every Wednesday. Think about what your core piece of content is and plan it out as much in advance as you can.

One of the best feelings in the world is feeling ahead of your work or content schedule. Everything runs more smoothly and you can enjoy family time without stressing to go finish up a project that’s due the next day. So, let’s do this before school is out! You’ve got this! (If you want/need a cheerleader along the way, join Money Makers.)

 

How to Enjoy Summer as a Biz Owner | Step #7: Be flexible and embrace the fun!

Alright, don’t forget to be flexible and embrace the fun! Don’t stress too much about this being perfect because it never will be. While it can be a balancing act most of the time, it really is an amazing thing that you get to run a business and be at home with your kids to make meaningful memories as a family. And I wish you all the best memories with your family this summer (while also crushing some of your business goals)!

 

 

7 Steps to Enjoy Summer as a Biz Owner

Alright, I hope you feel better now after reading about these 7 steps to enjoy summer as a biz owner! Just get things prepped ahead of time, write it down and get it out of your head, and you will feel so much better. And, as always, I am here cheering you on every step of the way. 

The problem I hear most often from small biz owners is reading biz tips but not knowing how to implement them into their own business. That’s why I created Money Makers. It is my coaching group where I give you twice a month coaching, access to all of my courses, and a community that you can relate with. I get a little teary just thinking about how amazing this is and how I get to see all of you grow your businesses! 

Ready to see some of the magic inside Money Makers? You can check out how to join HERE! Also, don’t forget to follow me on Instagram @iammichellegifford if you don’t already. I share tons of tips and tricks for small biz owners and influencers I think you will love!