Is Your Business Ready for the Holiday Season?

Business Building Tips

November 27, 2019

For some business owners, the holiday season is a time to relax and reflect on the year we’re leaving behind.

For others, it’s the peak time of the year.

No matter which category your business falls into, there are a few things you could to do add some holiday pizazz and boost the holiday spirits of both team members and clients!

What’s your holiday business strategy?

First things first— are the holidays a time when you can expect a big influx of revenue in your business?

If not, can you do something about it?

Assuming that things slow down by default but pick right back up after the holidays pass… plan your strategy in a way that warms up buyers once the craze is over.

That might be running a special New Year, New Me! promotion on your bestselling product… or offering a special discount for the first 30 buyers in the New Year.

Is the holiday season your busiest time of the year?

If the holidays are the time when you expect to make a big chunk of your yearly profits, then make sure your strategy is rock solid. Here are a few questions to help you test your strategy.

Do you know all the important dates when customers expect you to show up and give an offer? Dates like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but also days like Free Shipping Day and Super Saturday.
How does your business stand out from the crowd? Do you have anything special going on in terms of sales, gifts, promotions, or coupons? How are you getting your audience excited about that?
Do you have a clear idea of the sales funnel you’re moving leads through, as well as the best timing and sequencing?
Double-check your website and newsletter—make sure they’re mobile-friendly and optimized for mobile-shopping!
If you’re selling physical products, do you have enough of them? Do a last-minute inventory check… you don’t want to run out of stock!

Pro tip: Update your team whether and when you’re going to need them around the holidays… but don’t forget that everyone’s looking forward to a few days off and some family time!

Find a way to add some holiday magic.

No matter whether your business is fully online and there’s little face-to-face interaction with customers or you’re a brick-and-mortar business, there are a lot of opportunities to add some sparkle.

Think about the most common touchpoints where clients engage with your brand—online and offline. How do you want them to feel whenever they come across your brand?

Hint: Look at what the bigger brands do to get you feeling warm and fuzzy around the holidays… sparking nostalgia, even if you haven’t used their product in years!

But you don’t have to be a billion-dollar corporation to achieve that. For example, add a little festive banner on your homepage or transform your Instagram feed into a warm and inviting winter fairytale… it’s impossible for it to go unnoticed.

Show people you care.

Since ‘tis the season to be jolly, why not enjoy a bit of gift-giving magic? There’s no need to set apart a crazy budget for this… it’s the little things that make a big impact!

Send a handwritten card to all of your clients and if you have the budget for it, consider sending a small meaningful gift. (Though skip the keychains with your phone number on them… we don’t need to be adding more unnecessary junk to the dump!)

If you have a physical location, maybe bake a batch of cookies and leave them out for everyone to enjoy.

Pro tip: Consider pairing up with your favorite charity and donating part of your holiday profits— you’d be surprised just how many people are going to make a purchase and support your cause!

Be considerate of the fact that not everyone does the holidays.

That could be because of their own beliefs, traditions, or culture… but also because of personal reasons. The holidays are a challenging season for many, and a time where some people feel overwhelmed with other people’s cheer.

Consider simply thanking people for their business in a meaningful way as an end-of-year promotion or act of appreciation, rather than making it holiday focused.