Tools to Restart Your Business After Summer

Tools to Restart Your Business After Summer: 7 Easy Solutions

That strange in-between week…

The school holidays are ending, and if you’re looking for tools to restart your business after summer, you’re not alone. Tomorrow my kids go back to school, and while I’m ready for quieter mornings, my brain still feels halfway on holiday. That shift from “summer mode” to “small business owner mode” can be surprisingly tricky.

If you run a small business, you probably know this headspace well — the one where you want to be productive but your brain is still firmly in “holiday mode.” And honestly? That’s okay. You don’t have to jump straight into full speed. Sometimes the best way to get back into your work rhythm is with small, gentle steps that feel easy to start. A handful of well-chosen tools is enough to help you find focus, build momentum, and get back into your working rhythm.

So to help with that, here are 7 tools I use (and love) that somehow get me back in the business groove again — even in that awkward post-summer haze.

1. Notion – A Calm Space for All the Things

Notion is my digital “catch-all.” If I’m not quite ready for a full-blown strategy session, I’ll start by parking ideas here — content prompts, client to-dos, product ideas, or even my shopping list. When my head is full of scattered thoughts, Notion becomes my safe place to dump everything

You can build out beautiful systems if you want, but you don’t have to. Right now, mine is a jumble of notes and half-done plans… and it still works.

💡 Personal tip: On your first day back, just make one page called “This Week” and jot down 3 non-negotiables. That’s it.

Notion workspace for tools to restart your business after summer

2. Claude or ChatGPT – Words When You’re Not Feeling Wordy

Some days, stringing a sentence together feels like too much. AI tools like Claude or ChatGPT can help you organise your thoughts, reword an email, or turn messy notes into a plan. I use them for light-lifting tasks — brainstorming content angles, mapping blog outlines, or drafting captions I can then tweak to sound like me.

You can even use them to help build up your content strategy calendar for the month ahead and get totally organised from the chaos. Honestly, having everything planned in advance so you know exactly what’s coming up is super helpful to keep that back-to-work overwhelm at bay.

✍️ Want some ready-to-go prompts? My AI Swipe File for Business Owners has 20+ ways to use these tools without sounding robotic.

3. Pinterest – Inspiration Without Noise

When I’m looking for a gentle way to stir up fresh ideas, Pinterest is my go-to. It’s like a visual library that never runs out of inspiration — and unlike social platforms that pull you into endless scrolling, Pinterest is calmer, quieter, and completely led by your curiosity.

You can use Pinterest to:
💙 Collect seasonal colour palettes that suit your brand.
💙 Pin examples of packaging, typography, or photography styles you love.
💙 Research design trends and see how they might fit your next project.
💙 Build a “brand inspiration” board you can dip into when your ideas feel flat.

One of my favourite ways to use Pinterest is to create a “Back to Business” board at the start of a new season. I’ll pin 10–15 images that make me feel ready to work again within the seasonal vibe — from cosy desk setups to layouts or brand aesthetics that spark something. Even if I don’t use them straight away, having that visual moodboard ready makes it easier to get into a creative flow later.

📌 Try this: Create a “Back to Business” board with 10 pins that make you feel ready for the new term.

4. Canva – Quick Wins for Your Visual Brain

When I’m not quite ready to dive into a big project, I’ll often open Canva and tinker. Tweaking a template, trying out new colour palettes, or designing a quick social post helps me slip back into “create” mode without the pressure. Lately, I’ve also been exploring Adobe Express — it’s another great option with beautiful templates and access to free Adobe Stock images.

If you use Canva Pro or Adobe Express Premium, take advantage of their Brand Kit features. Having your fonts, colours, and logos saved in one place makes creating so much easier, especially when your creative energy is a little patchy.

🎨 Optional extra: Update one graphic for the new season. It’s amazing how a fresh look can wake up your brand.

Using Canva for design updates during tools to restart your business after summer

5. Spotify or Apple Music – The Gentle Reset Button

Music is my quickest route back to focus. I have a “Desk Job” playlist that’s less about productivity and more about signalling to my brain: we’re doing this now. I’m always adding to it and it gets me in the mood to work in a way that nothing else does. (Plus, I love to sing along so it keeps my brain happy too.) If this sounds like the perfect tool for your productivity, you can check out my playlist which I share on Apple music here.

🎧 Your turn: Make a 20-minute playlist and play it at the same time each morning this week. It’s a small habit that creates big mental shifts.

6. Substack – Writing Without the Tech Stress

If the thought of firing up your email platform feels heavy, Substack is a clean, distraction-free way to get your thoughts out. You can keep posts private, share with just a few people, or go public when you’re ready.

🪶 Think of it as journaling with a “send” button. No overthinking design, no endless formatting tweaks — just words.

7. Playbook – A Pretty Place for Your Brand Assets

Last on my list of tools to restart your business after summer is something I use across pc and mobile to help keep visual assets handy. I’m sure we all know that folder chaos where you can’t find your own current logo. Playbook fixes that. It’s like Pinterest meets cloud storage — visual, organised, and actually pleasant to use. I store brand imagery, client logos, mockups, and moodboards here, so I’m not digging through endless files when I’m trying to focus.

📂 Small step: Upload your most-used assets now. Future you will thank you.

Bonus: The Paper-and-Pen Brain Dump

If all else fails, set a timer for 10 minutes and write everything in your head onto paper. No structure, no editing. Just clear the mental clutter so you can see what actually matters today.