How to get your business ready for the Christmas rush.
While the holiday season is the year’s roundup for many, it is usually the peak of opportunities for businesses and business owners if they prepare correctly to accommodate the season’s rush.
The holiday season is the period most people look forward to! From finally taking a break from work, to getting more time to themselves and sharing special memories with family and loved ones. Everyone is looking for bits of happiness wherever they can find and moments that could make the year’s end worth remembering. What better way to connect and share special moments with your customers, than by getting your business ready for the rush, and jolly celebrations?
Keep in mind that any business that becomes a brand leaves behind a special, undeniable feeling and impact on its customers; in simpler terms, you need your audience and customers to remember you in other to stay relevant and one way to do this is to give them a thrilling holiday experience.
To get your business prepared for the holiday rush, and set the stage for success ahead of time, here are 5 tips to get started on;
- Start planning early: The holiday rush could be overwhelming for you, your staff, and your customers, and to minimize any anxiety, mistakes or losses during this period it’s best to get your business organized with a plan. This means that your goal for the season, to-dos, checklist, inventory, promotion and marketing strategies should all be listed and updated before the season’s rush.
Plan thoroughly by grouping your goals into different categories such as; marketing, sales, experience, etc. Make use of productivity trackers and enhancers such as calendars and task managers to ensure that everyone is on board and everything is in motion.
Get your business in the season’s spirit; if you have a physical store, decorate it according to the season’s celebration. If you do not have a physical store adapt the season’s themes, colours, etc. on your socials.
- Give back to show appreciation: Your customers are the backbone of your business and the holiday season is an opportunity to show your gratitude and give back to them by making them feel remembered and special as it in turn increases their trust in and for your business.
This appreciation can come in little ways such as; souvenirs on their holiday purchase, DIY gift cards, customised presents, a call to wish them the season’s best, and a shout-out to them on social media through appreciation messages and mentions.
Giving back to the community can also be a form of gratitude. If you are looking for good ways that your business could show love and encourage people through the holiday season try discounts, sales, giveaways and donations.
- Get ready and backed up: From your staff, inventory, marketing etc. make sure that you are all stocked up and prepared. Get more hands to handle the increased demands of the season, work closely with your staff, get marketers onboard, and make sure there’s a plan B and C.
A lot of people look forward to volunteering during holiday seasons as a means to be more involved, active and share in the joys of the season mostly by lending a helping hand to businesses in need. Leverage on that.
Your customer service team needs to be active and highly efficient during the holiday rush so as to secure every customer, as you do not want to lose a customer due to a lack of professional and prepared customer service personnel. Keep your customers happy and satisfied, get ready and backed up!
- Utilize your social media platforms to the fullest: Get acquainted with the season’s latest, and by doing that plan-up a strategy to fit. Research trends, upcoming events, fairs or promotions and get your business involved to avoid losing out. Create a calendar for the contents you want to infuse into your marketing plan. Increase your brand’s visibility and draw attention to your business through advertising on social media apps like Facebook, Instagram, etc.
Getting social media influencers to spice up your content and spike up your engagement as they properly have the following and likes of people that might be interested in your business but haven’t been exposed to it yet.
Discounts and sales are the most popular and somewhat effective strategies during the holiday season as a lot of businesses are actively trying to increase their sales before the year runs out, as well as generate traffic and brand awareness to set a pace for the next business year. Give an opportunity to people outside of your target audience that really want to buy into your business but cannot possibly due to financial constraints. Enjoying discounted benefits will give them a chase to experience your business in the season, and bring them back after.
- Have fun and get rest: While making sure your business doesn’t lose out during the season’s rush, make sure to live in the moment and have fun. In other to spread joy you first have to be joyful, so be more than involved! Keep in mind that image and presentation matter but don’t get caught up trying to create the moments that you lose out on it.
Lastly, a well-rested team is necessary for success. Do not forget to take breaks and take it easy.
Although the holiday rush brings a sense of urgency for holiday shoppers that want to get good deals in a short period, and for employees that want to make sure they are up to the task of helping customers satisfy their wants or needs by fulfilling assigned responsibilities, and business owners that have to make sure that everything is up and running smoothly, be on your way to a successful holiday season by keeping proper planning at the top of your priority and watch your business, be organized, smooth and booming through the holiday period. Never forget proper planning prevents poor performance.