Seven Ways to Make the Most of Summer Downtime
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Although some organizers are extra busy in the summer, for others, work seems to slow right down while their clients are in vacation mode. Fortunately, there are many ways to fill your time that will benefit your business in the months to come. If you don’t already have a list of projects to work on when you have the time, here are a few ideas to get you started.
Start a blog.
You’re good at what you do, and blogging is a great way to show the world what you know. In addition to being very search engine friendly, blogs allow website visitors to interact with you, making it more likely that they’ll return on a regular basis. If you’re worried that you may not have time to keep it up when business picks up, take advantage of the summer lull to write posts you can keep on hand to publish at a later date.
Check your website for broken links.
Websites come and go, and pages may be deleted or moved, causing some of the links you’ve placed on your site to no longer work. Broken links make your website seem out-of-date and can cause visitors to move on very quickly, so it’s important to take the time to verify the links on your site. To save time, use a tool such as the Broken Link Checker plug-in for WordPress.
Learn something new.
The lazy days of summer can be the perfect time to sign up for a teleclass, webinar, or live training event. If nothing is scheduled that tickles your fancy, check out the recorded teleclasses and webinars available from Professional Organizers in Canada and NAPO University. There is a world of information out there; why not take advantage of it?
Add new content to your website.
If your website hasn’t been updated since it was launched, you probably offer products or services that aren’t advertised on your site, and you may be missing out on potential business as a result. Even if you haven’t made any significant changes, it’s a good idea to update your site from time to time, as fresh content gives both website visitors and search engines a reason to return. Updates may include information about recent or upcoming projects, or new testimonials, awards or certifications you’ve received.
Look into affiliate programs to supplement your income.
There are hundreds of affiliate programs available that allow you to earn commission for promoting certain products and/or services on your website. You may already recommend books or other products to your website visitors and blog readers, so why shouldn’t you make a little extra money for doing so? Just make sure that you select programs that complement what you do, and don’t clutter your website with so many affiliate ads that it looks junky or that visitors are distracted from your main content.
Write articles.
Articles you’ve written can be an excellent addition to your website or blog, and can also be submitted to article directories such as EzineArticles.com, where they may be picked up by other websites, featured in newsletters, and sent out in ezines, creating additional traffic and more exposure for your business. This will also enhance your search engine ranking, by increasing the number of links pointing to your website.
Take a well-deserved break.
Try and get away for a week, a weekend, or even a day! Taking time for rest and relaxation is one of the best gifts you can give yourself, reducing stress and renewing your energy for the busier days ahead.
If you never have time for these activities because your business thrives all year long, maybe we should talk! After all, even professional organizers need an Organized Assistant!
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Excellent list, Janet. I especially like the reminder to check our dead links. I use Link Checker as you’ve provided, and sometimes Dead Link Checker as a backup. I’ve noticed, however, that many of the link check sites have trouble with Amazon associate links, even though a manual check shows them as just fine. I guess on a slow summer day, we shouldn’t mind letting our fingers do the walking. 🙂
I’ve had a similar experience with software I’ve used in the past. In addition, if a link brought up an error page, it sometimes wouldn’t be recognized as a dead link. No matter how powerful computers get, I think there will always be a need for human involvement!
Great article, Janet. I’m going to add your blog to my blog roll.
Thank you, Alys – I’m honored!
I’ve been spending the summer continuing to take classes though the Institute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD), working my way through the their level I certificates, so I’m definitely learning new things. I may have to check out the Ezine link you mentioned. Thanks for the tip!
I understand those courses are quite intensive, so I admire you for doing that. Happy learning!
Can’t say I feel like I’m slowing down – ack! But on my list is to work on a Linked In company page… learned about this about our last NAPO-CT meeting. Going to add “Broken Link Checker” now that I’ve read about it… I always have a running list of projects for the days when I get an unexpected cancellation. Thanks, Janet!
It’s a great plugin, but WP Engine doesn’t allow it because it apparently uses a lot of system resources. Which is why I just happened to find not one but two broken links in this post! 🙁