HOW TO PLAN YOUR SUMMER BUSINESS LIKE YOU’RE PACKING FOR VACATION
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You’d never wait until you’re buckled in on the plane to start packing your suitcase.
Because you know how that ends:
Frantic searching, forgotten chargers, and the sinking feeling that your beach hat is still sitting on your closet shelf.
But that’s exactly what too many entrepreneurs do with their business when summer hits.
We wait.
We hope it’ll “slow down.”
We tell ourselves we’ll figure it out once school’s out or after that last webinar or launch or baseball tournament.
Then suddenly it’s July, we’re glued to our laptops, and the summer we dreamed of… never happened.
It doesn’t have to be that way.
With just a little planning right now, you can create a summer that gives you the flexibility, rest, and freedom you signed up for when you became an entrepreneur — without putting your business on pause.
Here’s how I approach summer business planning like I’m packing for vacation… and how you can too.
Step 1: Decide What You Want Summer to Feel Like
You wouldn’t pack for a mountain hike if you’re headed to the beach.
Same goes for your summer business.
So before you set any goals or map out your schedule, ask yourself:
What do I want this summer to feel like?
Is it rest? Adventure? Simplicity? Growth?
This question is key. Because you can’t reverse engineer a plan if you don’t know the destination.
If you want this to be your most restful summer yet, your business goals might be all about maintenance and margin.
If you’re ready for a summer sales spike, you’ll plan for launches and visibility now, not later.
If you want more flexibility with your kids home, your schedule needs to reflect that.
Your first job is to decide how you want to feel. The business plan comes next.
Step 2: Pack the Essentials Only (aka Prioritize the IPAs)
When I pack for a trip, I’m not bringing my entire closet (well, I’ll still overpack, but I’m not bringing my coat to the beach with me).
Same goes for your tasks this summer.
Start by identifying your top revenue-generating activities — your IPAs (income-producing actions). These are the things that actually move the needle in your business.
Think:
Creating content that drives traffic
Emailing your list consistently
Promoting your offers
Nurturing leads
Hosting a webinar or challenge (if that’s part of your plan)
And then? Let go of the rest.
This isn’t the season to rebrand your website or take on a massive new project unless it aligns with your summer goals.
If it doesn’t serve your priorities or bring you closer to your revenue goals, leave it out of the suitcase.
Step 3: Set a Schedule That Works for You
Here’s the truth no one tells you: there’s no “one-size-fits-all” summer schedule.
So stop trying to copy someone else’s.
Some of us thrive on morning work blocks while the kids are at camp.
Others work three days a week and unplug completely the rest.
Some do a few hours here and there around family activities.
The key is to decide in advance what works for your family, your energy, and your goals.
In my house?
We’ve got summer camps, random day trips, and a few vacations… so I map my work hours around those.
I use the Slay Your Schedule™ Planner to do this. I plan each week in advance (usually Friday or Sunday), so I’m never caught off guard and scrambling to find time to work.
When I don’t set a schedule? I default to working all day and missing everything – and that’s not why I became an entrepreneur.
Step 4: Delegate Like You’re on Vacation
You don’t cook every meal or do your own laundry at a hotel, right?
Same mindset applies to your business.
If you want to enjoy more of your summer, you’ll need to delegate and outsource – in both your business and your life.
That might look like:
Hiring a VA to schedule your social posts
Asking a family member to help with logistics or childcare
Paying your teenager to help with packaging or admin tasks
Using tools that allow you to batch, automate, and pre-schedule
Even small support can make a huge difference. You don’t have to do it all – and trying to will only lead to burnout.
Step 5: Plan Ahead Now, Not Later
Let me say this loud for the moms in the back:
Do not wait until June to plan your summer.
You’ve already signed your kids up for camp. You’ve already scoped out vacation dates.
Now it’s time to make sure your business is just as ready.
Start by:
Blocking out vacations and known “off” days
Mapping your offers and launch timelines
Pre-writing or scheduling content where you can
Communicating your summer schedule to your clients and team
This is the equivalent of checking your flight, setting your Out of Office message, and zipping up your suitcase the night before. It’s not about rigidity… it’s about peace.
Listen… you didn’t build your business to miss out on your life.
You built it for flexibility, for freedom, for moments that matter.
So let this summer be the one where you finally enjoy the life you’ve built – not hustle through it.
And if you need a tool to help you map it out, stay focused on what matters, and build a schedule that actually works?
I highly recommend my Slay Your Schedule™ Planner. It’s the system I use every week to plan smarter, set priorities, and show up with purpose… even when the calendar gets wild.
You deserve a summer that feels just as intentional as your business.
Let’s pack well and enjoy the trip!
