After Labor Day, most business schedules start to even out.

Clients who were in and out for weeks over the summer start to keep regular hours. Autogenerated “Out of the office” reply emails are less frequent. People seem more serious about digging in and getting back to business.

In addition, many small business owners with children frequently work out of their home offices during the summer months. This week they are now experiencing the calm that comes with the start of school. With a deep breath, they are ready to tackle new projects.

The Back to School season signals a new year for many businesses. Labor Day is the official “stroke of midnight.”  Click to Tweet.

As a result, during this first week of September your emails — especially B2B emails — may get more attention than they have all summer! The week after Labor Day is a great time to reach out to clients and contacts who have drifted away over the past few months.

Reconnection Emails: Some people find house cleaning is in order when the air starts feeling a wee bit crisper. Clean out your office and your email list at the same time. See if there are contacts who should be contacted again now. You might send an email to re-engage this segment. Depending on your relationships, offer to call or visit again at a near date. Follow up in a way that works best for your business.

Back to Business Emails: maybe you’re the one who’s hung out the “gone fishing” sign more than your clients last summer. Now is the time to let them know you are back and ready to commit at a higher level. What do you want your customers to know about your business now? Tell what’s new in your industry or within your specific organization.

Goodbye Emails: You may find it’s time to prune your list of dead email addresses (ones that haven’t been opened within the last 6 – 12 months). The subject line of this email must employ some words to resurrect your customer’s interest, if indeed they have any intention of acting. “Last Chance to Act” or “This Is Your Last Email From [Your Business]” may inspire your reader to open and read. Then you can offer these folks new susbscription options: receiving email only about certain subects, less frequent emails, or the chance to opt out.

However you choose to reach out, the Post Labor Day week is a prime time for higher email open rates among small businesses. Click to Tweet.

Make sure you take advantage of this “back to business” vibe and deliver renewed value to your customers.