While managing our tradeshow and event marketing company for 30 years we made numerous decision that impacted our ability to be a sustainable small business. Do we invest in ads quarterly or only before major industry events? Do we add personnel regionally or locally? Do we invest and sell product, like measurement software or do we remain a service only business?
Running a small business means living in a constant state of decision-making — who to hire, what to promote, when to invest, and how to keep customers engaged through the off-season. The challenge isn’t just how to get things done — it’s how to decide what deserves your attention right now.
For small-business owners, especially in seasonal economies like Cape Cod, Nantucket, or Martha’s Vineyard, time is your scarcest resource. The busy months demand fast execution, while the off-season requires reflection and strategic planning. One of the simplest and most powerful tools to help manage that balance is the Eisenhower Matrix — a four-quadrant framework that helps you separate the urgent from the important.
What Is the Eisenhower Matrix? Named after former U.S. president and World War II general Dwight D. Eisenhower, this decision-making tool was born from his now-famous quote: “What is important is seldom urgent, and what is urgent is seldom important.” The matrix is based on Urgency and Importance.
Urgent and Important — Tasks that require immediate attention and directly affect your goals or operations. An example: Fixing a broken website during the off-season.
Not Urgent, but Important —Strategic works that builds long-term success. An example: Creating next year’s marketing plan or hiring staff early.
Urgent, but Not Important — Tasks that demand quick actions but don’t truly move the needle. An example: Responding to every non-essential email or social ping.
Not Urgent and Not important —Distractions that don’t support your business goals. An example: Browsing social media without purpose or overanalyzing small issues.
Conscious choices about where to focus — instead of reacting to whatever shouts the loudest is the benefit of the matrix.
Why It Matters for Seasonal Businesses? In a seasonal economy, time operates on a compressed cycle. You have narrow windows to prepare, execute, and recover — and success depends on prioritizing what will have the most impact in each phase. Pre-Season: You’re setting up, hiring, ordering supplies, and marketing. Every hour counts toward readiness. Peak Season: You’re delivering — high energy, high customer traffic, constant problem-solving. Post-Season: You’re evaluating, planning, and maintaining financial stability during the slowdown. Without a clear system like the Eisenhower Matrix, urgent demands can overwhelm your long-term vision — leaving you exhausted and reactive.
Applying the Eisenhower Matrix in a Seasonal Business – Clarify Your Core Goals Before sorting tasks, define what “success” looks like for your season. Ask: What’s our primary revenue or customer goal this quarter? What key improvements will make next season smoother? This goal clarity ensures that “important” truly means aligned with strategy, not just loudest demand. A landscaping business, like Greenbird Landscaping might set a goal to expand commercial contracts by 10%. “Important” tasks would then include developing proposals, networking, and staff training — not necessarily replying to every small residential inquiry during peak rush.
Sort Your Tasks into Quadrants — At the start of each week (or day during the busy season), list your current tasks and assign them to quadrants: Quadrant I: Urgent and Important (Do Now) These tasks directly affect income or operations. Handle them immediately. Examples: A customer order issue, payroll deadlines, equipment breakdowns. Quadrant II: Not Urgent but Important (Schedule It) These are your strategic priorities. Schedule dedicated time for them. Examples: Staff training, marketing planning, inventory systems, cost reviews. Quadrant III: Urgent but Not Important (Delegate It) Assign these to someone else if possible.Examples: Routine phone inquiries, social media replies, supplier follow-ups. Quadrant IV: Not Urgent and Not Important (Eliminate It)Be ruthless — remove these from your calendar. Examples: Over checking analytics, unnecessary meetings, unproductive scrolling.
Build the Matrix into Your Weekly Routine – Use the matrix as a weekly planning tool: Spend 10–15 minutes every Monday categorizing tasks. Revisit it Friday to review what shifted and what stayed consistent. Use color-coding or sticky notes on a whiteboard — visual organization reinforces focus. During peak season, reevaluate daily. What felt “important” yesterday may change by noon today.
Balance Quadrant I and Quadrant II. Quadrant I keeps the lights on; Quadrant II builds your future. Many small-business owners live in Quadrant I — constantly putting out fires. The trick is to move more time into Quadrant II, where growth happens. During the winter slowdown, a Cape Cod retail shop can shift from “urgent” (restocking and sales) to “important” (building an e-commerce site, revamping displays, and training staff).
Leverage Delegation —Seasonal businesses often run lean, but delegation — even part-time — is critical. Tasks in Quadrant III can often be outsourced, automated, or assigned. Tools like Canva, Later, and Mailchimp can handle repetitive marketing functions, freeing owners to focus on strategic growth. Create written “quick SOPs” (Standard Operating Procedures) so staff can handle delegated tasks confidently during busy periods.
Use the Off-Season for Quadrant II Work — The Eisenhower Matrix shines in slow months. Instead of reacting to off-season quiet, use it for reflection, training, and system upgrades — the long-term tasks that rarely get attention during summer chaos. Conduct a post-season debrief to identify lessons learned. Review financial reports and renegotiate vendor contracts. Invest in leadership development or technology upgrades.
The matrix teaches business owners to focus energy where it counts most — building systems, nurturing relationships, and investing in what drives future success.
Contributed by Marc L. Goldberg, Certified Mentor, SCORE Cape Cod & the Islands, www.score.org/capecod, 508/775-4884. Free and confidential mentoring. Sources: Covey, Stephen R. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Simon & Schuster, 2020, MindTools. “The Eisenhower Matrix: Using Time Effectively, Not Just Efficiently.” 2024, U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). “Small Business Productivity and Planning Toolkit.” 2024, SCORE. “Time Management Tools for Entrepreneurs.” 2024. ChatGPT was used to research this column.
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