It’s October – we’ve officially arrived at the year’s busiest season. Between all of the holiday activities, school functions, family gatherings, shopping, and everything else that goes along with this time of year, it could be easy to lose track of the business essentials. Not to mention, it’s time to set the stage for a great end to the business year and establish those resolutions and business goals for the year to come. That’s a pretty tall order for one set of three months!
Let’s take a look at a few ways to approach this season with productivity and organization. That way, you won’t get lost or overwhelmed in the process. They may seem like no-brainers, but you’d be surprised at how even neglecting the no-brainers can cause some unnecessary issues later.
Holiday Business Checklist
Check Your Website
Check into your website and give it a thorough once-over – is it ready for the busy holiday season? Is it current, easy to navigate, and is your e-commerce (if you have one) aspect fully functioning and bug-free? Has your message changed over the year? Ask yourself these questions and make sure your website is ready for the busy season.
Plan a New Marketing Campaign
Your audience may be more active now through the end of the year, so it’s critical that you get strategic and plan out ways to capture that audience. Build your holiday marketing around what sets you apart from the crowd. Ask yourself some key questions: why will customers want to spend time at your small business this holiday season? What makes you unique? Determine the answer, and build a marketing campaign around it.
Get Supplies
No matter what business you’re in, you’ll find that there’s a certain list of items that need to be on-hand during the holiday season. Whether that’s holiday cards, raffle items, and branded/logo collateral, community gifts, or something else, make a list this month and order in advance so you aren’t scrambling in December. You don’t want to get stuck paying rush shipping or stressing about potential shipping delays.
Make Holiday Schedules
It’s time to determine your holiday business hours, if they need to be different from the rest of the year. Look back on last year and see what worked and what might work even better. Consider your own holiday-related commitments – if you’re an entrepreneur, you know that it can feel like a 24/7 schedule. Take time now to factor in all of your upcoming plans so that you can adapt your work schedule accordingly. The more you plan now, the smoother everything will go once the holidays really start rolling.
No matter what the holidays look like for you and your business, taking some time now to gather, organize and strategize will keep you on track and set you up for success during the most productive (and hectic) time of the year.
If you are interested in learning more about having fun working for yourself, marketing products you love, talk to Alan with AdvancingWithUs.
