How to Prepare Your Small Business for the Holidays
Whether you’re expecting a holiday rush — or even a lull — prepare for the season with these tips from business owners
It’s that time of the year again, where jingle bell rock can be heard on every radio station and the first snowfall is upon us. With the holidays just around the corner, here are 5 tips to keep in mind as you ramp up your small business for the holiday season.
1. Think about your brand
When it comes to the holiday season, it’s important to think about how you’ll position your brand, as this time of the year presents itself with opportunities to do great things for your clients. Ask yourself, how is your brand going to serve and add value to clients over the holidays and how will you stand out during this busy season?
Marlee Rabin is the owner of Ocurent, a high-end fashion rental business. When it comes to her brand this holiday, she’s focusing on her client’s needs first. When thinking of her content, she asks herself:
“What are people looking for at this time? I know there are holiday parties coming up and people need affordable dresses, so I promote holiday prices and plan corporate pop up events. Knowing that all of a sudden people are rushing to get something nice for the holidays is top of mind for me right now when thinking about how I will show my collections and promote my merchandise.”
Whether you’re creating a holiday-specific content calendar, preparing holiday brand photos, planning a popup, or launching a holiday giveaway, make sure to put your client’s needs at the heart of whatever it is you’re doing.
2. Manage and evaluate your holiday spending
Given what a busy and important time of the year it can be for some businesses, it makes sense that people would want to invest in their business. Rabin notices that many small business owners start to panic around this time and spend more money, especially when it comes to their marketing and paid ads without really understanding what they’ll be getting out of it. Before breaking your bank, she suggests keeping your budget tight, and being careful with spending.
She says to start with the things that are free and available, and don’t feel like you need a huge budget out there in order to win.
“If you’re active and resourceful and know how to communicate on the free channels you can gain a lot,” she said.
3. Get ahead of your administration so you can sail smoothly into the new year
For some businesses, the holidays are a quieter time that allows them to wind down. It can be a great time to wrap the fiscal year up and prepare for the upcoming quarter. Alex Melkonian, founder of Melkonian Finance, says that while January and February are his busiest seasons, December is very quiet. He uses this time to prepare for the new year by making sure his accounting, administration, and data entry is done so he can start off the new year on a productive foot.
Remember that without your clients, you wouldn’t have a business, so be sure to show them some love this holiday season.
If your administrative components are all taken care of, consider using this time to do a website or social media audit and make sure that all your platforms are ready for the holiday season as well as the new year.
Are your designs and graphics up to date? Is your content still relevant? Can your customers find everything they need (promotions, new products, and other relevant company information)?
Remember that failing to plan is planning to fail, so use this time to plan properly.
4. Connect with your clients
Melkonian also uses this time to reconnect with his clients and show them appreciation. He makes sure to send out holiday cards and holiday emails, and sometimes even sends out holiday packages as a token of his appreciation.
This is a great time to continue building your relationship with your clients, and build goodwill with your audience.
Remember that without your clients, you wouldn’t have a business, so be sure to show them some love this holiday season.
5. Show appreciation to your staff
If you have employees or contract workers, don’t forget to show them some love, too. If you’re a small business owner, you might not be able to afford to pay your staff corporate style bonuses. However, you can still give your employees some token of appreciation for their hard work, whether it be a gift, an extra vacation day, or even a free lunch or dinner. Be thoughtful about what your team enjoys, and remember that they are an important part of what keeps your business afloat.
Whatever holiday you’ll be celebrating this year, make sure you’re taking this time to strengthen your relationship with your customers, expanding your offerings, and creating value for those working with your business.
