Gearing up for the Holiday Season

Now that we are in November, I am sure I am not the first person to mention the Holiday season to you. We are in a period where it is difficult to avoid a conversation that doesn’t include at least one of the following questions.

• “Are you ready?”
• “Have you started preparing?”
• “What are you planning to do this year?”

While the above are questions typically asked by your friends and colleagues about your plans for the Holiday season at home, today I’d like to look at these questions from your business’s perspective. For many businesses, the busy holiday period is a critical part of annual revenue and if that is the case for your business, then it is in your interest to take a moment and think about those questions.

Are you ready?

There are a number of things that you need to have ready for the holiday season so plan ahead and consider what you should have. Obviously, if you are a store, you should be considering things like stock, special offer and seasonal items as well as ensuring staff are available but also get some valuable rest and relaxation time with their families too.

Have you started preparing?

If you haven’t, don’t worry but don’t put it off much longer either. By planning and preparing your store for Christmas, you will ease some of the pressure later and also ensure a profitable holiday period. Why not talk to staff about what ideas they might have and especially – was there anything that happened last year that should be specifically prepared for?

This kind of feedback and discussion can be invaluable to you as the owner but is also a great morale booster for staff, provided you listen of course. I am not saying that you need to implement everything that is suggested but certainly look at the value in what is suggested and try especially to make sure that problems from last year are not repeated!

What are you planning to do this year?

The Holidays are a big event for pretty much everyone. Why not aim to make your store a more special place for the holidays? Of course, the big chain stores have huge events that are difficult to compare to but there is no reason why your store shouldn’t make an effort too.

Some simple ideas to lift and brighten your store

• Add some decorations while being conscious of different beliefs
• Add display flags to highlight offers and areas of the store
• Having a gazebo within your store can have multiple purposes, from being an extra register area for busy periods to presenting seasonal products or even a wrapping station
• Look at adding some inflatable signs for a real novelty factor
• Similar to a gazebo but smaller and cheaper, adding a promotional counter can achieve a similar effect

At Colorado Canopies, we love the Holidays…

And we love helping our clients make the most of this important time! With our in-house graphic design team and helpful and knowledgeable staff, we can ensure your Holidays are as productive and rewarding as possible. Take the stress out of planning and talk to us today!