Small Business Success: Handling The Holidays
The holidays are here and we are in the home stretch before Christmas. The final weeks before Christmas Day can feel like a complete marathon to business owners, and it’s hard to capture that elusive “Christmas spirit” that we all remember as kids. Especially for those in the retail and service industries, the last month has been a grind. Long hours, special events, needy people. It’s a lot to take in.
The holiday season can feel overwhelming, but here’s some tips to get through it as a small business owner.
Know It’s Over Soon
When you’re in the thick of it, the holiday season can feel like it’ll never end. The crazy rush, the long hours, it gets old after a while. Remember that this time of year is fleeting. In a few short weeks we’ll be in the midst of winter in early January, the bright lights and cheer will be a memory, and we can all take a deep breath then. Christmas is a short season, and it’s important for your business to capitalize on it.
Treat Everyone Well
People can be a handful this time of year, especially as the holiday stress takes hold. There is a lot of pressure on everyone right now, and unfortunately it can come out in nasty ways. It’s important to keep your cool and treat everyone in your store, business, or anywhere well. Remember we’re all just trying to do our best, and some people struggle more than others.
If you’ve got employees, now is the time of year to treat them extra well. They’re working hard and trying their best, and often at the front lines of dealing with challenging customers.
Keep Marketing Consistent
In the buzz of the season, it can be tempting to let your marketing slack a bit. Conversely, you might be thinking about ramping up your marketing efforts to the max. Both approaches aren’t quite as effective as a consistent approach. Consistency is one of the most important aspects of any digital marketing effort, and this time of year is no reason to stop it.
One of the biggest issues we see fairly often with small business marketing efforts is a huge push throughout the month of December, and then a huge lull as burnout takes over after Christmas. The big swings of posting a lot and not posting at all do much more harm than good for your brand image and business.
Manage Your Expectations
A lot of businesses rely on the Christmas shopping rush for a large portion of their yearly bottom line. Here in Montana, many small businesses, especially those in retail, rely on tourist seasons. In years like this where there isn’t a lot of snow and we’re not seeing many of our usual winter tourists, the Christmas season becomes even more important.
However, relying totally on it can lead to disaster. It’s important to manage your expectations about the amount of income you’ll likely get. Base your numbers off past performance and reporting, instead of wild hopes. A solid marketing strategy and plan can help increase this number, and carry you through the rest of the slow season.
Take Some Time To Enjoy It
The holidays always come and go so fast, and it’s easy to get too focused on work and burnt out on it. During my years in retail, I would always work too much and get burnt out and never truly enjoy it. Since I had kids that’s changed, but I know for many it’s hard to separate work and personal time.
This Christmas season be sure to take some time to relax and enjoy it. Go on a walk at night to look at the lights. Watch a sappy Christmas movie. Take your time and take it all in.
Our team would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!