The months of November and December can be a little hectic for any business. The holiday season puts stress on consumers and business owners alike. But there are a few areas of your business you can focus on ahead of time to minimize the holiday stress. If you’ve ever arrived at January 2 needing another holiday, you may want to apply the following ideas during this upcoming season.
1. Stock up in Advance
Both franchises and non-franchise companies often see an increase in business over the holidays. With customers buying gifts for others or service packages to close out the year, the end of the year can a busy time! On the other end of the spectrum, some businesses see fewer customers over the holiday months, especially if the product or service offered simply isn’t in high demand during this time of year. That doesn’t mean these tips don’t apply, however. If your business has a “busy season”, you can take these recommendations and apply them based on your franchise’s seasonality.
To help manage inventory-related stress, take a look at your records for years past. Make sure you have enough inventory on-hand to meet the demands that come during your busy seasons. If this is your first year running a franchise, make sure to ask your franchisor for insight. Many will have guidelines based on seasonal sales.
If the last few months of the year are typically slower for your business, and you hope to change that, put some effort into extra marketing during this time of year. Deals advertised as holiday specials often perform well. Or consider operating under special holiday hours for your customers who still need your services, but may be busy themselves.
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If your business sees an increase in holiday traffic, make sure you staff for it ahead of time. There’s nothing that irritates an already frazzled customer more than working with someone who is not up to speed with the business or its practices. Hiring in advance of your busy season is a good way to ensure all of your employees have proper training before the rush hits.
3. Let Your Customers Know What to Expect
Planning to be closed over the holidays? Or are you planning to have extended hours or availability? Have any really good deals coming up? Make sure to make your customers aware of that ahead of time. Publishing holiday hours on your website or in a newsletter if you have one is a great way to inform potential customers before they arrive at your door.
Preparing your franchise for the holiday season doesn’t have to be stressful. If you start your holiday season planning well in advance, you won’t be scrambling at the last minute. And less scrambling means more time to enjoy the holidays yourself.
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