Staying motivated during the summer can be hard for anyone.  It can be especially difficult for those in a home business.  When you do not have a boss looking over your shoulder, it can be especially easy to take a day off of work and go to the beach instead. And while that may be fun for a few hours, it isn’t going to help your business.  Here are some tips on how to stay motivated during the summer.

There is an old rule of thumb that states, “What you do in your business today, will affect your business three months down the line.”  If you start to let things slide in June, you may not feel the squeeze until September.

Unfortunately, since you didn’t notice any ill effects in July or August, you may have continued your slide, which means that your business will still be suffering in November. And we all know what happens after that – the holidays.  This is a time of year when many people let things slide again, as they are busy with holiday shopping, parties, and school functions.




You can avoid all of this by keeping a regular work schedule in the summer.  If you have school age children that are now on summer vacation, you may not be able to work as much as you can during the school year.  That’s okay – just keep putting in a regular amount of work each week and your business will keep growing.

Keep a set of written goals close to your workspace.  This will remind you of the things that need to be done and can serve as a great motivator.  Remember, when you set your goals they need to have a due date attached to them.  Otherwise, it will be easy to put them off until another day.

Along with your goals, create a list of rewards you will give yourself as you complete your goals.  You can treat yourself to a pedicure, a day at the pool, or some other treat. Having something to look forward to at the end of a task can motivate you to complete it. 

Find other people who have home businesses, either locally or through the Internet.  You can set up weekly challenges amongst yourselves and find ways to make working fun.  You can hold each other accountable for your goals and stir up a bit of a friendly competition.  Maybe everyone can put $5 into the pot, and whoever wins the weekly contest gets the money to order takeout instead of cooking dinner.

Another trick to help motivate you is to start writing a list of all the holiday presents you will soon need to purchase.  Seeing that list and knowing you have to come up with the money to buy them can definitely keep you focused on your business, even during the summer.