The holiday season can be a joyous but hectic time of the year for a small business owner. You’ll want to take steps to ensure you can attract customers, and as Finical Holdings notes, offer them an exceptional experience. If you don’t know where to begin, here is a quick holiday checklist that can help.
Decorate Your Storefront
A bit of holiday cheer in your storefront is a smart move, as it helps you connect with your customers and show your holiday spirit. However, you want to handle it properly if you’re going to attract the widest array of shoppers.
It’s good to keep the design inclusive. Try making use of neutral imagery, like snowflakes. You can also add string lights, especially if you use only white bulbs or choose lights that align with your brand colors. If you want to add a message to your storefront, you may want to stick with “Happy Holidays.” You could also create a collage featuring a range of holiday sentiments, like, “Merry Christmas,” “Hanukkah Sameach,” and “Heri za Kwanzaa.”
Update Your Marketing Using Logos and PDF Conversions
Now is a great time to update your marketing to attract more business. Consider updating your logo, ensuring you can make a strong impression, boost brand awareness, and stand apart from the competition. Instead of paying for logo design services, you can create one yourself with a free online logo maker and download it directly to your computer. Just choose a style, select an icon, and add some text. Once you do, you can review an assortment of logos and customize the fonts or colors to make them the perfect fit.
If you want to make sure that your advertising is effective, you may want to hire freelancers for your web and social media ads. For example, you can head to an online job board to find TikTok agencies. Since you can check reviews and weigh costs in advance, finding the right match is a breeze.
Creating an ad campaign that targets last-minute holiday shoppers specifically is wise. Start with a handy gift guide. Along with brochures and other marketing materials, this should include an assortment of images and other standout holiday-themed graphics as well as catchy phrases that stick with people. Using PDFs to create these items saves on file size, as you can convert files such as JPGs, Word documents, and even PowerPoint all in just a few easy steps. Go online and see how this tool allows you to convert to a PDF file.
Then, offer promotions like special discounts on expedited shipping on a day other than Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, or Cyber Monday. Consider giving away a festive treat, like cookies or hot cocoa, in your store. Once people come in for the goodies, they’re more likely to look around and make a purchase.
Get Ready for the Rush
Many stores see business ramp up during the holidays. Spending some time preparing for the rush isn’t a bad idea.
In many cases, you’ll want to begin with staffing. You may need some extra hands to assist customers, restock shelves, and otherwise keep up with the influx of buyers. Often, hiring temporary employees is your best bet. Business News Daily points out that if you use a staffing agency, managing your seasonal team is more straightforward and there’s less overall risk.
Make sure you have enough critical items. You don’t want to run out of shopping bags or receipt tape during the rush, so check your supply area to ensure you have enough.
You’ll also need to update your business hours if you’re changing them for the holidays. Publish your new hours on your website, Google, and your social media profiles. That way, interested shoppers know when they can come into your store.
Post-Holiday Prep
In addition to prepping for the holidays, this is a great time to make plans for the new year. Whether you're considering getting legal help, changing your accounting methods, or something else, now is a great time to research and take care of any other due diligence so you can start the year off right.
Knowing that this super-busy retail season opens up business to increased revenues – whether that’s customer foot traffic at your brick-and-mortar shop or clicks in your online store – it also comes with missed opportunities for even better returns. So get ready for the rush by updating your logo and using PDFs to create eye-catching marketing materials, and preparing for the new year by making any changes that will make your business run more smoothly. With these tips, you’ll be better able to handle the influx of business and make the most of your efforts going forward!
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