With June in full swing, so come the “dog days” of summer. Why not bring the lemonade, cookouts and sunny day adventures to the office as a way to reinvigorate your employees and customers.
Potlucks present a great opportunity to bring your staff together. Getting everyone to share a favorite dish is an easy way to host a special employee event, while staying under budget. Encourage everyone to bring a favorite dish, leaving you to focus on the backend work.
Want to do it yourself? Suggestion: A hot dog bar is a fun way to customize a simple meal and accommodate all of the quirky tastes within your office. Keep things fun and casual! Set up the station complete with franks, buns, and different toppings and spreads. Then let guests have fun choosing their toppings to make their own gourmet creations. 
Make sure the toppings are easy to find by serving them in white or clear dishes. Visit your local print center to design and print tent card labels to display with your toppings or print recipe ideas on cards and display them along the bar as creative suggestions for hot dogs.
Summer is a great time to get outdoors and involved in the community. Select a local cause in need of summer help, preferably one that facilitates connecting with potential customers. Community events offer a neutral ground to network with key influencers in the community, all while giving back to a good cause.
Many charitable events also offer great branding opportunities through sponsorship programs. Assess the cause to determine if it is a natural fit for business involvement and also whether your budget can accommodate the extra expenditure.
Arm your staff with simple summer seasonal selling tips. Think about merchandise on your shelves, online or 
in-store. Are there certain items that sell better in the summer? Or certain products to pair together that work well in the summer? Say you own a small furnishings shop. Prep your staff to keep patio furniture and other outdoor pieces top-of-mind when talking to customers or arranging storefront displays.
Diversifying your products and services for the summer season creates a more seamless buying experience for your customer, while making the purchase decision even easier.
Whether your business is seasonal or not, creating a fun experience for your employees and customers is a useful practice for almost any small business. No matter what time of year it is, creatively marketing your products and services for the season is a best practice for any small business!
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