Show Notes

Show Notes: Preparing Your Business for Back-to-School Season

Episode Overview: In today’s episode, Amber Peterson discusses essential strategies for wedding planners navigating the transition from a laid-back summer to the structured demands of the school year. Learn how to adjust your business operations to maintain productivity while supporting your family through this busy back-to-school time.

Key Points Discussed:

• Organizing School and Activity Calendars:
  • Gather School Calendars: Amber stresses the importance of collecting all school calendars for your children, marking down every critical date on your master family calendar to avoid surprises.
  • Track Extracurriculars: Log all dates for your children’s activities to ensure full awareness of upcoming commitments.
  • Tech Tip: Utilize a digital calendar to color-code each child’s schedule and share it with your partner or caregivers to keep everyone informed.
• Adjusting Work Hours:
  • Evaluate Needs: Amber guides listeners on assessing children’s school and activity schedules to determine if work hours need adjustments.
  • Plan Work Blocks: For efficiency, consider aligning your work schedule with school hours or adjusting your day around school pick-up times.
  • Communication is Key: It’s vital to communicate any changes in your availability to your team or clients to maintain professionalism and manage expectations.
• Learning to Say No:
  • Pre-decide Volunteer Time: Decide how much time you can commit to school events and stick to it, ensuring you don’t overcommit.
  • It’s Okay to Say No: Amber encourages listeners to feel comfortable declining requests that don’t fit their schedules.
  • Communicate Your Decisions: Being upfront about your availability can prevent misunderstandings and display your commitment to maintaining balance.
• Strategic Scheduling for Work:
  • Designated Workdays: Amber suggests blocking off specific days for different types of tasks (e.g., Mondays for client meetings, Wednesdays for admin tasks) to enhance focus and set clear expectations for availability.
  • Client Interaction Days: Set aside specific days for client interactions, ensuring that you’re fully present for your clients when needed.
  • Childcare Planning: Assess the need for additional childcare during work blocks to ensure uninterrupted productivity.
  • Communication with Family: Keep your family informed about your work schedule to manage expectations about your availability.

Conclusion: Amber wraps up the episode by reminding listeners that with careful planning and clear communication, transitioning into the school year can be seamless and stress-free. By organizing calendars, adjusting work hours, and being strategic about commitments, wedding planners can achieve a successful and balanced start to the school year.