The holiday season is coming up! Whether you’re a large business, a SWaM business or a small start-up, it’s important to be prepared! Get ready for a successful holiday season by reviewing these five tasks and working with your team.
Order supplies
Check last year’s orders to anticipate how much of basic supplies you’ll need, whether that’s shipping supplies and packaging, paper towels and toilet paper for your restrooms, or branded gift cards for holiday shoppers. Remember to order early to avoid rush shipping charges later in the season. Being prepared can help you meet your customers’ needs with ease.
Make holiday schedules
Now’s the time to determine your holiday operating hours. Will you be open longer than usual? Do you plan to close your business for a few days? Be sure to tell your staff about holiday hours, and explain your expectations of them during the holiday season. Ask your team to request any holiday time off by a certain date, so you can plan employee schedules accordingly.
Stock extra inventory
Anticipate holiday orders by manufacturing additional product or placing orders with your vendors. Your suppliers are under their own pressure, and they may have ordering deadlines to get product to you in time for the holidays. Mark these deadlines on a calendar you can see easily so these ordering deadlines don’t pass you by.
Decorate
Even if you feel like the Grinch when it comes to holidays, add a little extra flair to help stand out from the crowd during this busy season. Your whole team can get involved: plan a late-night or early-morning decorating party. Order takeout for your team, play festive music (or regular music, for the Grinches among us), and transform your business in a matter of hours. Remember to check corners for cobwebs and dust your fixtures to help your merchandise shine.
Make Sure Your Payment Processor Can Keep Up
The holiday season is busy for everyone! That includes your payment processor, too. But, that’s not an excuse for your payments to be processed late or slowly. Make sure your payment service is able to keep up with increased sales over the holiday season and if they’re not – it’s time to make the switch! Often a payment provider backed by a larger bank, like Altor, will always be able to keep up. Even when you experience and influx of business!
Already feeling overwhelmed by the holiday season? Don’t let your payments add to the stress. Contact Altor Processing for a consultation, today.
