How to Plan Your Business for Summer Without Losing Sales (or Your Sanity)
You’d never wait until you’re buckled into your plane seat to start packing your suitcase.
Because you already know how that ends:
Frantic searching. Forgotten chargers. That sinking feeling when you realize your favorite beach hat is still sitting on your closet shelf.
And yet… that’s exactly what so many entrepreneurs do when summer rolls around.
We wait.
We hope things will “slow down.”
We tell ourselves we’ll figure it out once school’s out… after the last launch… after one more busy season.
Then suddenly it’s July.
We’re glued to our laptops.
And the summer we imagined never actually happens.
Here’s the truth: you don’t need to put your business on pause to enjoy summer.
With a little intentional planning now, you can create a summer that supports both your business goals and the life you built this business for.
Let me show you how I plan my summer business strategy the same way I pack for vacation — and how you can too.
Step 1: Decide What You Want Summer to Feel Like
You wouldn’t pack hiking boots for a beach vacation.
So before you plan a single goal, promotion, or work block, ask yourself this:
What do I want this summer to feel like?
Restful?
Spacious?
Flexible?
Profitable but simple?
Growth-focused?
This question matters more than any productivity hack.
Because you can’t reverse-engineer a plan if you don’t know the destination.
If you want a restful summer, your business plan should focus on maintenance and margin.
If you want a summer sales spike, your planning needs to happen now, not mid-June.
If you want more flexibility with kids home, your schedule has to reflect that reality.
Decide the feeling first.
Then build the business plan around it.
Step 2: Pack the Essentials Only (aka Prioritize Your IPAs)
When I pack for vacation, I don’t bring my entire closet (even if I overpack a little).
Summer business planning works the same way.
This is the season to focus on your IPAs — Income Producing Actions.
These are the tasks that actually move the needle.
Examples include:
Creating content that drives traffic
Emailing your list consistently
Promoting existing offers
Nurturing leads
Hosting a webinar, challenge, or launch only if it supports your summer goals
And everything else?
Leave it out of the suitcase.
This is not the time for:
Rebranding your website
Starting massive new projects
Adding complexity for no reason
If it doesn’t support revenue, ease, or your desired summer lifestyle — it can wait.
Step 3: Build a Summer Schedule That Actually Works for You
There is no one-size-fits-all summer schedule.
And copying someone else’s routine is the fastest way to feel behind.
Some entrepreneurs thrive with early morning work blocks.
Others work three focused days a week.
Some do short work sessions around camps, trips, and family time.
The key? Decide in advance.
In my house, summer means camps, travel, and spontaneous plans — so I plan my work around life, not the other way around.
I map my weeks ahead of time using the SYS Planner, usually on Fridays or Sundays. That way:
I know exactly when I’m working
I know exactly when I’m off
I don’t default to working all day “just in case”
Because when I don’t plan?
Work expands. Life shrinks. And that’s not why I became an entrepreneur.
Step 4: Delegate Like You’re Already on Vacation
You don’t do your own laundry at a hotel.
So why do you try to do everything in your business during summer?
Enjoying your summer requires support — even small amounts.
That might look like:
Hiring a VA to schedule social posts
Asking a family member for help with logistics or childcare
Paying your teen to help with admin or packaging
Using tools to batch, automate, and pre-schedule
Delegation isn’t about doing nothing.
It’s about doing what only you can do — and letting go of the rest.
Step 5: Plan Now (Not “When Things Slow Down”)
This part matters, so let me say it clearly:
Do not wait until June to plan your summer.
You already know:
Vacation dates
Camp schedules
Travel plans
Busy weeks and slower weeks
Your business deserves the same level of preparation.
Start by:
Blocking off vacations and true days off
Mapping offers and promotions
Pre-writing or scheduling content
Communicating your summer availability to clients and your team
This isn’t about rigidity.
It’s about peace.
It’s the business equivalent of packing early, checking your flight, and setting your out-of-office message before the chaos starts.
You Built Your Business for This Life
You didn’t start your business to miss summer.
You built it for flexibility.
For freedom.
For moments that matter.
And this summer can be the one where you actually live the life you’ve been building — without sacrificing your income or momentum.
Want help mapping it all out?
The SYSPlanner is the exact system I use every week to:
Set clear priorities
Plan realistic schedules
Stay focused on what actually matters
Protect my time — even when life gets full
You deserve a summer that feels intentional — not reactive.
Let’s pack well and enjoy the trip.
You deserve a summer that feels just as intentional as your business.
Let’s pack well and enjoy the trip!