It’s almost Christmastime, and people are already starting to shop for gifts. From October to December, your business will likely face the largest share of customers for the whole year. While this means you should prepare for higher profits, you also need to prepare your business and employees for what is to come.
Set Achievable Goals
First, you need to set up SMART goals for your company. Each company’s goals will be completely different from one another, but that does not make any of them wrong. SMART is an acronym for the following: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. When you are planning out your goals for this holiday season, you should keep these in mind.
A goal that has a target number in a set amount of time is perfect. You should analyze the numbers you have had in other years (or past months if this is your first holiday). These will help you determine your goal’s attainability and relevance. You should also be focused on tracking your progress throughout the holiday season.
Focus on Customer Experience
Since holiday shopping is one of the more chaotic times of the year, you should focus on making customer experience a priority. When customers have a successful experience and feel like they matter, they are more likely to become repeat customers. They are also more likely to recommend you to their friends and family, which can be a huge benefit for your business.
If you are doing mostly ecommerce sales, this is especially important. People expect to get their orders in a timely manner, especially if they are shopping for Christmas. Having multiple order fulfillment options can prevent delays and frustrations with back orders. Having a good inventory system can also help you keep track of things and prevent your site from allowing orders of things that are out of stock.
Staff Up
While you may be making more product sales, you probably are going to need more people to work during the holiday season. Holiday staffing can be a pain, but if done well your life during the holiday months will be immediately easier.
You may find some great new long-term employees too. When staffing for a seasonal job, make sure you make it clear what that means. Usually, holiday workers will be scheduled on the weeks of Thanksgiving and Christmas, so they can’t travel far for the holidays themselves. If this is an issue, you probably shouldn’t hire them.
Your holiday sales will hopefully be successful and lively. Making these preparations beforehand will help you enjoy the holidays as they draw closer. Your business will be able to have a successful season.
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