It may seem early to be breaking out the tinsel, turkey and tins of chocolate, but with only 11 weeks to go until the big day, it’s time for small business owners to start planning for the festive season. The average UK household spent almost £800 on Christmas in 2015, and that’s set to increase this year.
Big retailers start planning their Christmas advertising campaigns in February – while small businesses are unlikely to have the lavish budgets, the beginning of October is the ideal time to start making serious plans.
So how can small businesses approach Christmas? There are some key areas to keep in mind:
What happened last year?
One of the best ways to prepare for a big event is to review what happened the year before. Have a look at your takings from October to January and make a note of where the peaks in sales occur. Were there any unforeseen issues that cropped up – did you run out of stock for example or not have enough staff during the pre-Christmas rush? Has anything changed in your business since? Once you have a good overview, develop a strategy that makes improvements where needed and consider how you’ll roll it out in tandem with efficient stock flow.
How will you deal with rising demand?
Start by having a meeting with your staff to see availability and sort through holiday requests, then create a spreadsheet listing everyone’s contact details and their allocated shifts. Have a contingency plan for the unexpected. If you’re a plumber for example, a sudden frost might lead to an increase in emergency calls, which you’ll need to find cover for.
An effective online presence is also important. A massive 79% of people will shop online during Christmas, so your website will need to be robust enough to withstand high volumes of traffic and secure so that customer card data is safe. Give your website a spring clean and have it tested for any bugs and points of weakness a few months before you start promoting Christmas products. Ask a friend or family member to use it and tell you if anything is confusing or would dissuade them from making a purchase. Consider having extra technical support on hand during the busiest times, such as Black Friday, so that any issues can be resolved quickly.
Are you using social well enough?
On Twitter, Christmas was mentioned 22m times during the seasonal period, 6.2m of which were in November. Peaks are also evident in September and October, so it’s clear that festive momentum starts building early.
Use the platforms you have as a business to promote any special offers you’ve got, or any events you’re planning for Christmas. Build on the platforms you’re already invested in – whether it’s Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat or Instagram – rather than trying to start a new one. Go to where your audience already are.
When it comes to content, think about what your USP is – are you independent, do you stock something no one else has, or are you open 24 hours? Maybe you have some advice about your typical customer to inspire their family and friends to buy a gift from you. Make your uniqueness the focus of how you communicate with your customers.
What about your loyal customers?
Although the festive season may attract new customers, much of the growth opportunity will lie with your existing ones. In order to maintain their custom, treat your regular customers to something that shows your appreciation for their support. If, for instance, you run a yoga studio, you could put on a special extended session with free snacks and drinks afterwards. Or if you run an online shop, think about giving everyone who has signed up to your mailing list a 10% discount for October (when transactions are likely to be a bit slower than November and December).
Even if it might seem quite early to be talking about Christmas, getting prepared sooner rather than later always pays off. Why don’t you begin your seasonal planning today?
Content on this page is paid for and provided by Kia Fleet sponsor of the Guardian Small Business Network Accessing Expertise hub.
