There’s a part of me that really looks forward to the school holidays, especially in the summer. My eldest son is still quite little so is usually exhausted by the end of term. During term time I’m constantly rushing them out of the house or shouting because their shoes have mysteriously vanished. During the school holidays we can do pretty much what we like.
Of course, it’s never quite that simple. We all need to make a living and every business needs a bit of attention over the summer months. How do we balance family and work so that the school holidays don’t spell disaster?
Going on holiday is generally a good idea. If you aren’t convinced by that have a read of 
Have you organised your holiday yet? The kids are about to finish school and the weather is, well, British. You might be reading this in the midst of a heatwave or longing to fly off to avoid the rain.
Everyone has challenges in business. If you’re not being challenged, you’re not growing. The thing is, everyone faces challenges differently. Some treat them as an obstacle to be overcome, others as an excuse. We’ve all had those moments when we throw their hands up and say ‘I can’t do it’ when you could if you asked for help. Sometimes you just need to get out of your own way.
I have a confession to make. This is going to be one of those blog posts where I dispense brilliant advice that I haven’t taken myself.
What does your brand mean to you? Is it a lovely logo that you put everywhere that you can think of? Do you have a range of gorgeous visuals that make your website, social media and all your other communications instantly recognisable? If that’s as far as it goes, you’re missing out.
Have you ever been called on to explain why you do what you do for a living? This happened to me at a networking lunch recently. We always do a thirty second introduction, but this time the organiser asked us to go a bit further. As I stood up I described my former life as a solicitor and why I’d chucked it all in to become a freelance writer.
Forgive me if this turns into a rant, but I can’t keep quiet any longer. I love Facebook. Yes, it has its irritations, particularly since some of my friends have some very strange ideas about how to cure cancer. Generally though, it’s a great way to keep in touch.
How is your inbox looking? Do you open your email each day knowing that everything you receive is going to be useful, entertaining and a joy to read? No, me neither. Still, there’s a reason I don’t unsubscribe from all of them. There are plenty of retailers out there that I buy from now and again. They’re useful information sources for birthday or Christmas presents. I stay on their list because it’s useful to know when they’ve got a sale on.
If you have a shop with physical premises, a great window display is a no-brainer. How else are you going to convince people to come inside? Of course, what your shop front needs depends on the customers you want to attract. The display outside a seaside bucket and spade shop will be very different from that of a high end boutique.