The end of summer is nearly here! Time for those lazy days of summer to give way to fall planning and holiday season madness. But before you get that far ahead, remember to celebrate the here and now. Enjoy the rest of the beautiful weather and plenty of cold drinks. And also, check out some great August writing and promotion ideas.
 
Simplify Your Life Week (August 1st-7th)
The beginning of fall is a hectic time. A new school year begins and holiday planning is staring you in the face. Simplify Your Life Week is a perfect time to get your business organized for the upcoming chaos. For starters, get your workplace organized in preparation for fall. Take a look at unfinished projects and decide to complete them, farm them out, or eliminate them. Examine your workflow processes to see if they have become too cumbersome, of if perhaps you could benefit from a new tool.
 
Send out an email newsletter with your top organizing tips, or write a blog post about how you have streamlined your business processes. Post a daily organizing tip on social media every day this week. Encourage your clients and readers to step back and take a look around them, and then simplify their lives and/or businesses. Everyone gets overwhelmed and bogged down from time to time. A break designed to step back and simplify is good for everyone.
 
State Fair Season
Many state fairs are held in August, stretching into the early fall. These are a great way to market your business and services by setting up a booth. Thousands of people flock to state fairs, sometimes from across the country! If your state fair is coming up soon, find out how you can take advantage of opportunities they offer.
 
Often you can set up a booth in the business section and offer a drawing for nice prizes. This is a great way to get leads, not to mention the conversation opportunities available by just being present and pleasant to passerby. Also, you may have options to sponsor an event or game at the fair that will draw additional crowds. They can also be given an opportunity to register for a prize in addition to enjoying your event or activity.
 
Consider entering some fair-sponsored contests. If your business involves food, traditional county fairs generally have canning, baking, and various cooking competitions. This could produce additional kudos for your business as well as great exposure. Other competitions could be about your fair display, speechmaking, poetry, and more. Or, if your local fair doesn’t host a contest that fits your business, why not volunteer to sponsor one at the fair?
 
Planning for Labor Day (last week of August)
Labor Day is a big end-of-summer holiday and now is the time to begin gearing up for it. It’s important to participate in the sales frenzy during this time. Start marketing for your specific promotions in the end of August to generate excitement and exposure. Need some suggestions? Try running an Instagram giveaway or contest.
 
Back to School
Back to School sales are an American tradition. And some schools begin in early August, so if you haven’t planned a promotion yet, there may not be much time left. Even if your business isn’t directly child or school related, there are still plenty of ways to get in on the action. Include parents in your promotional efforts. After all, they are the ones spending the money. Consider partnering with another business that is more directly related to back-to-school themes and offer a combined special.
 
Holidays and Special Days
 
Friendship Day (August 2nd)
Take advantage of National Friendship Day by holding a promotion for customers that bring in or refer their friends on this day. Offer incentives to both parties for participating, whether it’s a discount or a freebie; just be sure your offer is enticing.
 
National Relaxation Day (August 15th)
Write about relaxing subjects and offer special relaxing promotions on this day. Use this day to improve employee relations. Although you can take advantage of this day to engage customers, it’s also important to allow your staff to relax as well. Close up shop early after promoting relaxation to allow employees to enjoy some hard-earned rest.
 
World Humanitarian Day (August 19th)
The purpose of World Humanitarian Day is to recognize those that lost their lives working for humanitarian causes. Use this day to not only donate your time or money to an important charity but to encourage your customers to do the same. Pay it forward to your local community, and share with your customers how they can contribute as well. Share on social media your favorite cause and why it’s important to you.
 
Senior Citizens Day (August 21st)
Honor senior citizens with discounted or free services, above any regular senior discounts you may offer. Contact local senior centers and find out if you can sponsor an event or stop by with catering or freebies to brighten up someone’s day.
 
Birthdays
 
August 1, 1770- William Clark, explorer, teamed with Meriwether Lewis, “Lewis and Clark”
August 1, 1779- Francis Scott Key, author of the national anthem
August 1, 1819- Herman Melville, novelist
August 2, 1924- James Baldwin, author, playwright
August 2, 1924- Carroll O’Connor, actor, “Archie Bunker”
August 3, 1926- Tony Bennett, singer
August 3, 1940- Martin Sheen, actor
August 3, 1941- Martha Stewart
August 4, 1901- Louis Armstrong, jazz trumpeter
August 4, 1955- Billy Bob Thornton, actor
August 4, 1961- Barack Obama, 44th U.S. President
August 4, 1971- Jeff Gordon, auto racer
August 5, 1930- Neil Armstrong, 1st to walk on the moon.
August 6, 1809- Alfred, Lord Tennyson, poet
August 6, 1911- Lucille Ball, actress, comedian
August 6, 1917- Robert Mitchum, actor
August 7, 1975- Charlize Theron, Oscar winning actress
August 8, 1937- Dustin Hoffman, actor
August 8, 1938- Connie Stevens, actress
August 8, 1949- Keith Carradine, actor, singer
August 8, 1953- Donny Most, “Ralph Malph” on TV series “Happy Days”
August 9, 1944- Sam Elliott, actor
August 10, 1874- Herbert Hoover, 31st U.S. President (1929-1933)
August 11, 1953- Hulk Hogan, WWF wrestler
August 12, 1881- Cecil B. DeMille, producer,
August 13, 1899- Alfred Hitchcock, director
August 14, 1945 Steve Martin, comedian, actor, writer
August 14, 1947- Danielle Steel, romance novelist
August 14, 1950- Gary Larson, cartoonist, created “The Far Side”
August 14, 1968- Halle Berry, actress
August 15, 1769- Napoleon Bonaparte, French military emperor
August 15, 1972- Ben Affleck, actor
August 16, 1954- James Cameron, director
August 16, 1958- Madonna, singer, actress
August 16, 1960- Timothy Hutton, actor
August 17, 1786- Davy Crockett, frontiersman, adventurer, soldier
August 17, 1882- Samuel Goldwyn, film pioneer, producer
August 17, 1920- Maureen O’Hara, actress
August 18, 1954- Patrick Swayze, actor, dancer, “Dirty Dancing”
August 19, 1946- Bill Clinton, 42nd U.S. President (1993-2000)
August 20, 1833- Benjamin Harrison, 23rd U.S. President (1889-1893)
August 21, 1936- Wilt Chamberlain, NBA basketball player
August 21, 1938- Kenny Rogers, singer, actor
August 22, 1920 -Ray Bradbury, science fiction writer
August 23, 1912- Gene Kelly, actor, dancer
August 23, 1929- Vera Miles, actress
August 23, 1934- Barbara Eden, actress
August 24, 1960- Cal Ripken Jr., Ironman baseball player, played in 2,643 consecutive games
August 25, 1930- Sean Connery, actor, “James Bond”
August 25, 1933 – Regis Philbin Talk Show Host, Game Show Emcee
August 25, 1933- Tom Skerritt, actor
August 26, 1980- Macaulay Culkin, actor, starred in “Home Alone” movies
August 27, 1908- Lyndon Baines Johnson, 36th U.S. President (1963-1969)
August 27, 1910- Mother Teresa, nun, founder of the Order of the Missionaries of Charity
August 28, 1749- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, author, poet, philosopher
August 28, 1828- Leo Tolstoy, author, “War and Peace”
August 29, 1915- Ingrid Bergman, actress
August 29, 1958- Michael Jackson, singer, songwriter
August 30, 1930- Warren Buffett, investor
August 31, 1897- Frederic March, actor
August 31, 1928- James Coburn, actor
August 31, 1935- Frank Robinson, baseball player, manager
August 31, 1945 Van Morrison, singer,
August 31, 1949- Richard Gere, actor, “Pretty Woman”
 
What great ways do you plan to spend your August days? How can you leverage these holiday events or happenings to attract customers and impact your business? Share them in the comments and of course, share them with your readers! Until next month, enjoy the fair, keep a cool drink handy, and as always, keep writing!