Summertime Business

Summertime is usually the slowest time for small business owners. Depending on the company, the period from late May to early September is usually filled with employee vacations, kids' sporting events and family gatherings. Consequently, the summer months generally do not produce the type of revenue that most companies are used to generating during the other nine months of the year. Unless, of course, you own and operate a seasonal business that thrives on warm weather.

I decided to try to buck the thought process that summer is bad for business. For the first time in a long time, I got on the phone this week and attempted to demonstrate to a potential new hire that selling is not that difficult during hot June days. Fortunately, I had some success selling some subscriptions and a few display ads. I realized that the summer doldrums are essentially a myth.

I think, as a small business owner, it has always been an easy scapegoat to tell myself that it is so slow during the summer that it is not prudent to even attempt to sell anything until it gets closer to Labor Day weekend. In addition, the summer months are usually not conducive to producing many earth-shattering stories that appear in the first three pages of The Bottom Line. However, I am also learning that this summer has been different.

Despite the rather slow economy, I now have a computer print-out of potential story ideas that lists about 45 different things that should be occurring in the Chippewa Valley over the course of the next few months. Normally, my story idea list during the summer months is much shorter. Yet, for whatever reason, business activity this summer appears to be much more vibrant.

Even though there are a number of good things happening within the business community, I still plan to take next week off. As always, one of the four weeks that The Bottom Line is not published is during the Fourth of July holiday week. I promise to come back with a few news "scoops" and be re-energized for the rest of the summer beginning with the July 13th edition of this newsletter.

Usually, I am scrambling to find enough news items to report during the "dog days" of summer. But I have a good feeling that this July and August will be unlike those of years past. Enjoy your Fourth of July holiday week and please do not hesitate to call (834-7337) or e-mail: editor@tblnet.com if you have a good story to tell the rest of the business community. I can never have too much information to dispense when most people think summer is only for vacations.