December is just a couple of weeks away. Once we turn our calendars to December 1st, we will officially be in the holiday season. That means one thing for the majority of small and online businesses: a steep increase in sales! Is your company prepared for the busy few weeks that are ahead? If you don’t think you’re as prepared as you should be, here are some ways you can jingle-proof your business for the holiday season.
Cut Down On Back Office Tasks
You will need to put a good amount of your business’s efforts into its sales and customer service over the holiday season. Your customers should come first during busy periods. Distractions from back office tasks can prevent you from delivering top-quality sales and customer service. So try to reduce accounting, billing and any other back-office tasks by automating them using computer programs and software. This way, you can give your attention to your customers.
Get All Hands On Deck
As Christmas may be super busy for your firm, you will need to make sure you have as many employees as possible working at all times. Quite a few companies don’t allow their workers to take vacation during December, which prevents having to deal with a reduced staff. You may find it helpful to look for temporary workers to help you out. If you want to find casual employees for over the holiday season, you can research sites like https://www.hays.com/Talent-Solutions/index.htm.
Get Professional Advice
Is this your first year operating during the holiday season? If so, then business may probably come as a shock to you. It’s worth getting some professional advice from mentors and advisors. You might want to speak to a financial advisor like https://www.bbb.org/central-texas/business-reviews/educational-consultants/rockwell-trading-services-llc-in-austin-tx-90094863, so that you can streamline your finances and correctly invest your increased profits. A marketing and PR advisor can help with your seasonal marketing and social media efforts to ensure that your sales don’t slump during what should be a very busy period.
Upgrade Your Website And Online Store
As you experience a lot more sales, your website will also experience a lot more traffic. Are you sure it can cope with the increase in its current state? If not, it’s time to upgrade your website and online store. Make sure your site is able to function with higher volumes of traffic. Regular crashes could end up in you losing customers. Your website should be mobile responsive so that it doesn’t appear unprofessional to people viewing your site on a smartphone.
December can be extremely busy and stressful, but the above tips should make your holiday season more manageable for you and your employees. Just think – it will soon be January and you will have a chance to breathe and take a well-earned break.
