Christmas is creeping up on us now, so if you’re a small business owner you’re probably (hopefully) gearing up for the busiest - and most wonderful, of course - time of the year. But while the festive season and all its build-up is an exciting time, it also comes with its challenges. So, to quote Scar from The Lion King - Be Prepared! No, not for the death of Mufasa (still not over that), for a holiday rush! Here, we'll discuss why it’s essential to plan early and how you can get ahead:

"Ho, ho, ho - dear, we're not ready!"

One of the biggest pitfalls this time of year for small businesses is a shortage of stock. The very very last thing you want is to run out of stuff and frustrate your customers over Christmas - so how can you make sure this doesn't happen?

Take a look at last year’s sales data to find out which products sold well during the holidays and which didn’t - this will help you forecast demand as accurately as possible for the upcoming festive season. To now quote the wise Rafiki: "The past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it." So let's learn from last year's holiday chaos, shall we?

Take a look as well at what's trending for this year and make sure you can cater for what's mostly likely to be popular - whether that's trending themes or new, specific products. Customers after all tend to gravitate toward bestsellers, especially during gift-giving season when they have someone who’s a bit difficult to buy for… "There's one in every family, sire. Two in mine, actually..." (Okay, I'll stop with the Lion King references now.)

Once you’ve identified your key products, then you can make sure you have sufficient stock! But be careful not to go overboard with getting too much in - finding the right balance is important as you don't want to be left with loads of stuff you can't store come January.

This also means stocking up on your packaging too - it never hurts to get this sorted nice and early! Find out how to craft your Christmas packaging range with this handy blog, with everything from gift boxes, bags, advent calendars, ribbon, and more...

Don’t forget about customer service!

With increased sales come increased queries, so your team must be prepared to handle customer questions and concerns as quickly and efficiently as possible. Make sure your staff is fully trained and ready to handle anything, from product enquiries to returns. Have multiple support channels open too - some customers may like to pick up the phone, while others may dread the very idea and prefer to use email, live chat, or they might like to slide into your DMs, so be ready either way!

Make sure you also communicate clearly your cut-off dates for Christmas delivery - this helps manage expectations so your customers can avoid any disappointment around gifts potentially not arriving on time. And be clear about return policies - make it easy for customers to understand what they can and can’t do, and have all this info prominently displayed on the product pages on your website.

And why not add a personal touch? Christmas is all about the season of joy, and as a small business you have a fab opportunity to deliver that to your customers. Include a handwritten thank you note in your packaging to make them feel appreciated, and perhaps some Christmas ribbon or a sticker to up the excitement?

Now, what about your marketing strategy?

Christmas is a time when consumers are actively hunting around for the very best products and services. To make sure your small business stands out from the crowd, it’s important to have a solid marketing strategy in place. (Of course, this is important all year - but with Christmas being as hectic as it is, it's not a bad idea to have your festive strategy sorted as early as possible!)

Consider planning things like festive sales, limited-time offers, and gift-with-purchase deals, as seasonal promotions can drive significant traffic and sales to your business. This is particularly important as we gear up to Black Friday - figure out how this fits into your strategy so you don’t get left behind.

Use social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok etc to reach shoppers. Create fun festive content, run holiday contests, or use targeted ads to engage your audience and attract new customers. Send out Xmas-themed newsletters to your customers too - highlight new products, any sales, and those important cut-off dates to keep your customers in the loop.

Need some more social media and marketing tips? It just so happens we’ve got some fun blogs on this - check out this one on marketing and how to make it personal, and for tips on video content have a read of our 'Lights, camera, action!' blog, with relevant tips for all year round!

And check up on your SEO too

You don't need me to tell you that a lot of people will be online shopping this Christmas, so you need to make sure your website can handle the holiday surge! No one wants slow websites when they’re trying to buy stuff, so test your website speed and make any necessary improvements to keep it running quickly even when it’s busy. (Tools like Google’s PageSpeed Insights can help you out here.) And did you know half of all web traffic is from mobile devices? So it goes without saying you’ll need to make sure your website looks good on mobile - otherwise you’ll be missing out on looads of customers there.

Include clear calls to action on your website too - whether it’s a 'Shop Now' button or clear links to popular categories and related products, ensure that the path from browsing to checkout is as simple as can be. Fancy some more SEO tips? Alrighty then, let me recommend you another blog - this time on the basics of SEO!

Final thoughts

Christmas is a time of both opportunity and challenge for small businesses. But by planning ahead and being prepared, you can avoid the stress of last-minute rushes and position your business for max success. At Tiny Box Company, we’re here to support you every step of the way - so start preparing now, and make this Xmas your best one yet!