Preparing Your Business for the Holidays

Your business should be in the final countdown plans for the holiday season. Since most businesses can capitalize on the lift in spending, what can you do to end the year strong? Planning ahead is so important, so if you have not started a holiday marketing plan yet, then now is the time to get started.  Here’s how:

1. Make Your Lists. Santa isn’t the only one with holiday lists! If you did not make a list at the end of your last holiday season, then do that first and put on the list to definitely end the holiday season with it this year. List what worked and what didn’t work. Brainstorm ideas and be as specific as possible.
2. 2.       Set your goals.
3. Hiring extra staff. Will you need to hire extra staff? Interview ahead of time and make a list of requirements. Leave enough time for training before it is too busy to do it efficiently and overwhelm a new hire.
4. Lay out the plan in detail. Research what your competitors did last year and try to think out of the box. Also look to other businesses to see what they did well and try to emulate that for your business.
5. Set up your calendar. Make a calendar plan and stick to it. Decide when you are sending out emails, launching sales, and what promotions you will run. Make sure to include end dates as well as start dates. Review your calendar days from last year to match up when your busy times will be and when you can best benefit from sales and promotions.
6. Keep it Simple. Understand that you will be so busy when season hits, so make things as simple and detailed as possible. Do as much as possible ahead of time.