The hustle and bustle of the holidays is what makes the season so special, yet it doesn’t mean your small business has to get overpowered by the rush of holiday shoppers. By simply being prepared, you can make sure your small business is ready to end the year with a bang. As the season gets hectic, take these small business holiday tips into consideration: 

Determine Holiday Schedules Early

Start planning your logistics out now by asking these questions: will your business be open longer than usual and do you plan to close for a few days? Making these decisions early will reduce confusion for shoppers about when they can reach you. Also, notifying your staff to explain holiday schedules, establishing a deadline for any time off requests, and communicating your expectations of them during the holiday season sets you up for success.

Promote Holiday Sales Online

Meet your customers where they always are… online. Amp up your online customer interactions through promotions on Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and holiday themed emails. Another popular way to promote your business online is to run social media contests. Share a graphic that explains how customers can enter to win a product or gift card with easy steps such as like our page, share this post, and tag 3 friends in the comments. This is extremely beneficial because people will be sharing your post and getting your business’s name out to all of their friends.

Revisit the Ghosts of Holidays Past

In order to be prepared for what’s to come, sometimes you have to reflect on the past. Examining past years’ performances will help you better judge how much merchandise to purchase and if you need to hire seasonal workers. Look at your industry trends and prepare to meet that consumer demand. You can’t anticipate every holiday order, but you can prepare as much as possible!

Take Part in Shop Local Campaigns

Being a small business is what makes you unique in your community. Promoting that uniqueness alongside other local businesses is a great way to build community awareness of what you have to offer. Getting active in your local Chamber of Commerce and other small business initiatives opens opportunities to advertise on shop local flyers and promotional websites. Also, try partnering with other local businesses for events such as ladies day out, festivals and holiday craft fairs to attract larger groups of people. Together, you and your neighboring businesses can encourage your community to shop local instead of hitting the department stores.

Take the Time to Say Thank You

While this may be the busiest time of year for your business, taking the time to say thank you can make a big impression on your customers, vendors and others. It’s important to send well wishes and thank you’s to others during the holiday season. The investment of saying “Thank you for being our customer” can be minimal, but it’s an easy way to remind your customers of your business as they make their holiday shopping lists.

Staying Organized

Just like Santa Clause, you should be making your list and checking it twice! Organization is the key to reducing your stress this holiday season. You can stay organized by keeping your customer orders straight, product inventory orders, sales, filing papers, stocking up on mail supplies and order packaging, such as special branded bags, flyers or tissue paper.

What are your small business tips for a successful holiday season? Share them in the comments below! ↓