Get Your Small Business Ready for the Holidays

If you haven’t noticed yet, the holidays are coming. Is your small business ready? If you haven’t started planning yet for the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year holiday marathon, now is the time to begin putting your strategy together.

Very Basic Things to Consider

Do you have enough supplies? I don’t mean inventory, but the basic supplies you need for day-to-day operations? The holidays (hopefully) mean more customers which means you’ll use more of the everyday supplies you rely on to run your business and meet your customers’ needs. Make sure you plan for using a little extra now, so you don’t run out of things at an inopportune time.

Supplies

Speaking of inventory, what are your best-selling products and/or services during the holidays? Do you have enough inventory to support increased sales? Remember, your suppliers will be under increased pressure during the holidays too. Don’t wait until the last minute to order holiday inventory. Talk to your suppliers to see if they have holiday ordering deadlines and get those on your holiday schedule.

Schedule

If you don’t have a holiday schedule, you should consider creating one. Put your ordering deadlines on it, but also think about other things such as whether you’re going to have extended holiday hours, what days you plan to be closed for the holidays, and any special event days you might have planned.

Special Events

If you don’t have any special event days planned, why not? The holidays are one of the most important times to differentiate yourself from your competition. What makes your small business unique? Why should customers looking for a particular product or service shop at your business during the holidays? Create a holiday marketing plan around those answers. At the very least, plan on participating in Small Business Saturday on Nov. 24. It’s a ready-made marketing day for small businesses that you can participate in and take advantage of to draw attention to your business.

Find more tips on starting and growing your business at sba.gov. Learn more about The Partnership’s business resources offerings, including connecting locally, globally, workplace wellness, inclusion and more on the Business Resources page.