Seasonal Planning Made Simple: Your Summer Prep Plan

You know that weird summer feeling in your business?

One minute you’re in flow, knocking out a deliverable or finally making progress on that big idea…

And the next, you’re scrambling to find where you left your sunglasses, replying to a random Slack message, and wondering why everything suddenly feels off.

That’s not just you being scattered. That’s fragmentation.

It’s what happens when we treat summer like it’s any other season and expect ourselves to operate at full capacity when nothing else around us is. Today, we’re rewriting the rules. You just need a radically different approach to summer in your business.

Let’s talk about how to plan for a season that feels different because it is.

Stop Pretending It’s Business as Usual

Summer can feel like an identity crisis in your business.

One minute you’re in the flow, and the next, you’re trying to write a proposal while someone in your house asks where the popsicles are. Or where the sunscreen is. Or you’re packing for a weekend away while on a Zoom call. 

If you’ve ever had the fantasy that summer will be this chill, dreamy stretch where you finally get caught up on all your big ideas while basking in the sun, you’re not alone. I’ve been there, too.

But the truth? Summer is a season of interruptions. Of irregular schedules.

Of slow responses from clients. Of bursts of activity followed by complete silence.

And if you’re not planning for that, you’re setting yourself up to feel behind the entire time.

What worked in the spring probably won’t work in the summer. And that’s not a failure; it’s a reality.

Seasonal planning beats quarterly or annual planning every single time because it lets you adapt. It allows you to respond to the rhythms of your life and business.

As a solo service business owner, your approach to planning needs to be different from how people with a team and tons of resources do it.

That’s why it’s one of the six pillars of my Staying Solo Framework, and if you want to dive more into planning, definitely check out chapter 6 in my book Staying Solo: Your Guide to Building a Simple and Sustainable Service Business. 

So, rather than doubling down on rigid productivity frameworks, we’ll zoom out and make a plan built for your actual capacity. Not some pretend version of you.

The 3-Step Summer Prep Plan

Let’s walk through a plan to help you make a real plan for summer. This isn’t complicated. You don’t need a template. You just need a pen, paper, and a willingness to get real.

Step #1: Audit Your Summer Life

Pull out your calendar. Go ahead. I’ll wait. Now, ask yourself:

• What’s happening this summer?
• What weeks are totally out? What weeks are partial?
• What standing commitments do you have?

This may be everything from vacations to kids at home to client projects. Days you’ll be offline. Events you’re already committed to. Write them all down.

This might seem simple, but I can’t tell you how many people plan without looking carefully at their calendar, and then they end up three weeks into July wondering why they feel like they’re drowning.

Once you do that, the next question is: How many working weeks do I have?

You might think you have 12 weeks, but once you subtract vacations, holiday weekends, and buffer time? It might be closer to 6 or 7.

This is a good thing to know because it grounds your expectations in reality.

This also allows you to ask: What do I want my capacity to be?

Just because you can work doesn’t mean you should max yourself out. If your goal is to work 20 hours a week, great. Build around that.

It’s your summer, and you can choose how you experience it.

Step #2: Pick Your Priorities

Here’s where most people go sideways: They treat summer like the time to “catch up” or “finally get ahead.”

But you are not a robot. You’re not suddenly becoming hyper-productive just because the sun is out.

We’ll do a strategic cut instead of trying to do it all. Look at the three core areas of your business:

• Marketing: What are you doing to find clients?
• Sales: What are you doing to close clients? 
• Service: What are you doing to serve clients?

For each of these, ask what’s essential, what’s optional and what can wait.

This is not the time to revamp your website unless it’s directly impacting revenue or stress levels.

For most of my clients, summer is when we stabilize. When we ensure we deliver to clients, marketing is light and low-effort.

What 1–2 focus areas are worth your time this summer? And what can you drop, pause, or gently let fade into the background?

Your to-do list should be shorter than usual. That’s not slacking off; you’re being smart about what you can commit to. 

Step #3: Intentionally Plan for the Slowdown

This is the part that saves you the most stress. If you don’t actively plan for your summer slowdown, it will happen anyway, with much more friction, guilt, and last-minute scrambling.

However, if you intentionally plan for it, you can reduce stress, maintain a healthy work-life balance, and ensure your business continues running smoothly even when you’re not at full capacity.

Let’s make it intentional. Start with client communication:

• When are you out of office?
• Are your response times changing?
• Are there specific weeks you won’t take meetings?

Put that in your email footer. Send a note to current clients. Be proactive so everyone knows what to expect. 

Then, set some personal boundaries:

• When are you logging off each day?
• What are your non-negotiables for rest?
• What’s the minimum effort version of your business that still keeps the lights on?

It doesn’t have to be perfect; it just needs to keep things moving without you being in constant reaction mode.

If you resist this because you like to work and be productive, cool. You can still do that.

But I’d challenge you to slow down on purpose for at least one week this summer.
Give your nervous system a break. Let your ideas simmer. You’ll be shocked at what clarity shows up when you stop pushing.

Let Go of the Guilt (Seriously)

Let me be clear: You can take your foot off the gas. We’ve been sold this lie: if we’re not going full speed, we’re falling behind.

But if you’re a solo business owner, you’re the engine. You can’t run on fumes forever.

Summer doesn’t have to be the season you just “get through.”  It can be the season where you’re realistic about your plans and make space to think about what’s next.

Best of all, you can do all that while sitting on the porch with an iced coffee and not touching your laptop for a whole weekend.

The world will not end if you rest. Promise.

Your Challenge

So here’s your homework:

1. Open your calendar and do your summer audit. Be honest.
2. Choose your 1–2 focus areas for the season. Ruthlessly cut the rest.
3. Set your client comms and personal boundaries. Say them out loud. Share them if needed.

Remember, you don’t need a new tool or planner. You just need clarity about what is and isn’t happening during the summer.

Staying Solo Summer Book Club is Coming Soon!

Whether you’re reading poolside, hiding from the heat in your office, or squeezing in a few pages between client calls, this is your invitation to crack open a business book that won’t make you roll your eyes.

When you join, you’ll get one email per week for six weeks with a takeaway, a few quick reflection prompts, and one small, doable action step. Plus, you’ll be invited to our Final Chapter live book club session in July, where we’ll chat, reflect, and figure out what’s next for your solo biz.

And yes, there’s exclusive Staying Solo swag because what’s a book club without a bit of surprise-and-delight?

You can join us at: bsfreebusiness.com/club