You can take advantage of the slower, summer season by working on your business rather than just in your business, says Rosemary Smyth, founder of Rosemary Smyth and Associates in Victoria.

That means reviewing and improving elements of the way you do business and refreshing your image for the rest of the year.

Smyth shares four key tasks that should be a part of your summer to-do list:

1. Review your business plan
Take stock of your progress in following your business plan. Don’t just look to see whether you have accomplished certain objectives. Review your long-term goals and gauge their development, Smyth says. It’s the middle of the year and therefore an appropriate time to see what tasks you should undertake to ensure your success in reaching those goals.

For example, let’s say you decided at the beginning of the year to obtain an additional designation or licence. You received the educational materials in January but they have been out of sight and out of mind thanks to the hectic pace of the past six months. Reviewing your business plan will remind you how completing those courses will improve your business. You will be encouraged to build time into your schedule to study for the designation.

2. Engage in some “clean-up” time
Look around your office and see what needs to be tidied up and organized. This can include your disorderly computer desktop, overflowing filing cabinets, and cluttered desk. Also, don’t forget the elements of your office that your clients probably notice first, such as your reception area and office furniture.

Says Smyth: “This is a time to look at things and see what needs to be altered or fixed.”

Your office should be just as reflective of your brand as your website or brochure. A tattered carpet or worn-down couch does not help illustrate your up-to-the-minute knowledge or attention to detail.

3. Update your marketing materials
Your office furniture isn’t the only aspect of your practice that can look old. Are your photos of yourself and your team current? Do your brochures look dated? Perhaps they need to be revamped.

Use the opportunity to take on those projects if you feel they could use a new look.

4. Review your analytics
Take a look at the hard numbers coming from your website and e-newsletters. What are the topics that are engaging your clients and giving you the highest number of views?

This information will help you identify the ideas and topics you should return to in your communications. For example, you notice that blog posts on saving for post-secondary education are popular, but your articles on global capital markets are barely read. Your lesson from this review might be that while you enjoy writing about international economics, the topic doesn’t intrigue your clients. It may be best to focus on more popular subjects.

Also, recall any feedback your clients have given to you and your team during the first half of the year. You may want to develop a habit of recording those comments so you can identify any themes that come up often.

This is the first installment in a three-part series on using the summer more effectively.

Next: Connecting with people outside the office.