With the holidays right around the corner, trying to make your business season a little more profitable doesn’t have to be difficult. Here are some of the ways that you can make your holidays “merry and bright.”
Give amazing customer service. Where big box stores sometimes have a less than personal approach, as a small business, you have the opportunity to excel at some of the little things often over looked. For example, we often include short handwritten thank you cards with orders, unique Christmas cards during the holiday season and even extra little gifts with purchase. We have always surmised that going that extra little mile definitely pays off. And really, most small business owners that we know generally do these things anyway.
Offer special holiday promotions/events/sales to encourage customers to shop early and potentially often. That could be a special Black Friday sale or a holiday shopping party complete with hot cocoa and candy canes. It might even be a Facebook follower’s only sale. During the holiday season you will often have a captive audience, so use your time wisely.
Make it easy for your customers to find things in your store. Group like items together or make up unique holiday sets. In the past we have made up gift sets of our baby items at a reduced rate that are not usually available. Most customers enjoy getting a good deal and during the holidays this is no different. Great customer service + great deal = very happy customers = more customers!
Give out Holiday discount cards for use only during month of December or postcard promotions that include special discount for a certain day or on a certain item. Discounts can be good as it will often get a customer in the door (or on your site) and like in a grocery store, the chance that they will find something they weren’t looking for, is pretty good!
Make sure that your website is ready to go and freshly updated. Same goes for your Facebook page and your twitter feed if you got one. We are living in a fast paced, technology driven world. Customers are knowledgeable and can look up things instantly on their smart phones. Make your “pages” worth looking at. Plain and simple.
Above all else, Have fun! These are just a few ways that you can help make your small business just a little more profitable during the holiday season. All with a tiny amount of planning and organizing. It could be the gift you give yourselves this Christmas!
Do you have a marketing tip to share? We would love to hear it!
