How to Keep Your Small Business Going During the Holidays

It’s the holiday season!

…and either your business is booming or tanking. For most small business owners, business tanks during the holidays. Many customers like to cut extra-curricular spending to save money to buy gifts. So, how can you keep your small business going during the holidays?

Having owned a small business myself, I asked myself that question every time the holiday season came around. I used to dread the holiday season coming and so do many business owners. And the whole Covid-19 pandemic isn’t helping small business owners, either! 

Well, I am here with good news! Here are some tips to keep your business afloat during the holidays: 

Come Up with A Business Holiday Strategy

This seems kinda general, but it’s true! Having a holiday business strategy will boost your chances for success, since it is a different time of the year – you need a different business strategy to go with it! 

Here are a few things you can do differently during the holiday season to keep business going:

• Offer a holiday promotion or discount.

It can be a buy two – get one free option, a 20% off price, a $10 off a $50 purchase, or free delivery. Offering a little discount will go a long way in keeping business up! Offering discounts also give people more incentive to buy from you rather than your competitors. 

• Don’t forget your social media channels!

Make your holiday promos known to your customers! Social media is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to advertise. Make sure to emphasize how your products or service would meet your customers needs, including their special needs during the holidays – since the holidays do create different needs than other times of the year. 

• Have a holiday get-together with your customers.

Yeah, I know, the whole Covid-thing is raging right now but you can still have a virtual get together at a fairly low cost. Offer prizes to your winners and offer coupons to those who attend (Cose.org).

• Don’t forget your marketing!

Sometimes, it’s just good practice to amp it up during the holiday season. Use your social media channels and Google Ads to get the word out! If you don’t have time or need some help, we are here for you! Alpine Marketing Ventures will save the day! To learn more about Alpine Marketing Ventures, click here.

As part of building a holiday strategy, set new goals for your business. Make it a tradition that whenever the holidays come around and you formulate your new strategy, contemplate what goals you have accomplished and set new goals. Setting new goals often in a business will keep your business thriving with success! (Entrepreneur.com)

Send out a Business Holiday Email

People love to hear about what their friends and family have been doing all year, why not you? Send out an email that accentuates your business accomplishments and successes. Feature employees and their stories. Highlight any positive milestones for your business. Don’t forget to offer a customer reward for reading your email for the holidays and invite them to your store or website. 

Sending out a holiday email will create more trust and bond with your customers, showing they have value to you and create value for them! (Entrepreneur.com)

Keep an Eye on Your Competitors

Whoa! Doesn’t that seem a little “Scroogy” for this time of the year? 

It’s never a sin to keep watch on what your competitors might be offering – especially successful competitors. They got where they are because they figured their target customers out! You can learn from their example by watching what they’re doing. 

And you may not realize it, but they’re probably watching you, too. This is just a good business strategy in general. You need to be aware of your surroundings in order to know what’s going on and to protect what’s yours. 

Spread the Cheer!

Make sure that the tone in all your advertising shows a tone of joy and cheer! Make the holiday season a fun and exciting time for your customers. Doing this makes you stand out from the other businesses.

Do something that makes this season memorable for your customers – they will want to come back every year! It could be as simple as a Christmas light display or small gifts of appreciation. Be creative and make it fun! 

Not only will this benefit your customers – it will benefit you as well. Spreading the holiday cheer will make treasured memories for you and your customers and build a bond of loyalty. Providing key benefits, especially around the holidays, will set you apart from other businesses and encourage your customers to stay loyal to YOU. 

So have at it! Be a little eccentric even! Make your small business during the holiday season one to remember!

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By Julie White

References:

•Cose.org. “3 Things to Know: Running a Business During the Holidays.” Retrieved from https://www.cose.org/en/Mind-Your-Business/Business-Growth/3-Things-to-Know-Running-a-Business-During-the-Holidays.

•Entrepreneur.com. “9 Ways to Market Your Small Business During the Holidays.” Retrieved from https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/305397.