It’s that time of the year again when the weather cools down, we’re hauling out pumpkins, gourds, and other decorations to make our spaces cozy and festive. The calendar is not-so-gently reminding us of the upcoming holiday shopping season.
Soon, those cozy fall decorations will change to greens, reds, and silvers and the smell of pumpkin spice will turn to gingerbread. If you’re a small business owner, your thoughts will be turning to preparing for the holiday shopping season.
If you’re staring at the last few weeks of the year without a plan, don’t worry. Here are a few tips that will help you plan with little stress.
Ordering and Inventory:
Ensuring you have enough stock is very important for the holiday season. If you have records of what was sold last year, use that to gauge what to order for this year. If you ship items, ensure you have enough supplies on hand to get you through the season.
It’s always best to stock extra supplies to help cut down on any last-minute ordering that may get bogged down with holiday shipping or any last-minute trips to the office supply store.
Website and Online Presence:
Go through your online media and ensure everything is up to date, including hours (especially if you extend hours this time of year), location, phone number, and website. Ask a friend to go through your website to proofread for any mistakes or inconsistencies. If you have an e-commerce site, have them go through the check-out experience.
If they do find any issues, fix those immediately before customer issues arise.
Take the time to plan your promotion schedule, especially if you’re planning any partnerships or events during the holiday shopping season. Start scheduling your daily posts to social media so you have time to focus on any in-the-moment posts or reels you want to capture.
If you utilize an e-newsletter, make a rough outline of what you want to promote, so it’s easier to write in the future.
Getting information out there now about the holidays is essential, as people’s plans and weekends start to fill up fast as November and December come into view.
Decorate
The holidays are a time when everything sparkles and shines (most likely from all the glitter). But it is also a good time to clean your store and decorate for the holidays. If you have a staff, throw a little party, turn on the holiday tunes, and get into the festive spirit!
This is a great time of year to let your store shine and take center stage for all the holiday shoppers.
Partner Up!
Receipt swaps, team-ups, and combo gifts are always fun promotions for shoppers. Find a business close by that can complement your products or services and see if they would be willing to partner up for the holiday season.
This is a great way to drive traffic and sales to both businesses and increase your exposure to additional clientele. Examples could be a gift shop and a bakery for hostess gifts; a spa and a candle shop for self-care items; a hair salon and nail salon for a girls’ day out package. Whatever the partnership, make it work for both of you and make it a fun experience for the consumer.
Not Just for Brick-And-Mortar Stores
Holiday specials and events aren’t just for shops and restaurants. Service-based businesses can also take advantage of the holidays by promoting your service and explaining why it makes a great gift, especially if it’s seasonal. You can take advantage of the holiday shopping days (Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday) and advertise bonus hours or services to packages.
Get creative and continue to post on social media. This is the time of year when everyone is looking for the perfect gift for their loved ones, and many people love looking for service-oriented gifts that will help their loved ones in the long run.
Whatever way you choose to get through the last two months of the year, ensure you’re ready to handle crowds, extended hours, and questions, and be ready to collect reviews to use throughout the year.
If you need assistance, you can reach out to Rising Tide for free marketing assistance or to be featured in our Holiday Shopping Guide. Email your questions to marketing-rtclf@caclv.org.
