Who hates summer? Not I! Yet my love affair with summer had a rocky beginning. I was so sensitive to summer sun that my first few years of life were always captured with me in capes and wearing more clothes than a diva in winter. I sweat a lot. I had more sunburns than I can count. In my young years we slathered on suntan lotion for protection, and it was like frying chicken at the pool. Yes, I had blisters on top of blisters one year…so while I love summer, I also love safe summers.

               This offers you an opportunity. Your quest to build your business should include a lot of customer service. Remember: four out of every 5 touches should be entertaining or educating, with just one being about selling a particular product. When you have a website and a blog, you can publish articles on summer safety. You can share personal stories of products (which you may sell but never mention in a salesy way), articles on the science of skin protection, articles on the effect of the sun on eyes, etc. In short, you have at your disposal a machine for generating attention.

               Why is a blog the best value for your business? Why not Tik-Tok or an infomercial? A half hour infomercial can cost anywhere from $25,000-$250,000, depending on how professional it looks and how much attention it attracts. That’s 1250 to 12,500 blogs. That’s a whole lotta moola! That’s a whole lotta words. Teach with written words and save the money…but definitely focus on attracting attention as opposed to selling something.

               Educating people is like earning pennies from heaven. Bing Crosby popularized the song and movie, which is based around good deeds earning heavenly blessings. You can couch it in words you find meaningful, yet the principle remains true. The latest statistics suggest melanoma is affecting younger people of other races and they are trending upward. Altruism blesses yourself as much as the lives you touch, and some of those blessings are monetary in nature.

               Your summer safety tips do not have to be COVID-related, though they can be. Consider these ideas in choosing a theme:

• COVID safety at local pools

• The value of drinking water to prevent dehydration

• SPF sunscreen safety tips

• How to schedule physical activity during a heat wave

• Safety on road trips

See what I mean? You have a wide field of topics you may choose from, and each of them is a winner in touching the lives of your shoppers. Make safety your priority and watch the pennies roll in. You need more than pennies? I think you’ll get them!