Businesses across Australia prepare for the peak season every year. This is a period of three months dedicated to the largest sales of the entire year.
Customers are packing their shopping carts to prepare for the best deals, and often the most expensive time of the year.
The onslaught in demand can catch out small businesses, resulting in the first few months of the year being spent trying to keep up.
SMBs who do not prepare properly often work around the clock and have little time to plan for the New Year.
I am a small business owner and know the challenges (not so jolly) that can come with this season. To give back to the SMB community, I’m sharing my top tips for keeping the festive spirit alive throughout this holiday season and into 2023.
Prepare, plan and anticipate
Boxing Day is a huge sale where Aussies will spend on average $711 for gifts and other items.
Being organised and knowing what to do to make the most of this busy time will allow you to spend less time in chaos, and more time planning.
How can SMBs prepare for this? Look backwards to see what has worked in the past. Use this information to determine the most popular stocks.
This data can be used to forecast demand for this year’s sale to make sure there is enough stock to meet the demand. It will also help you prepare as soon as possible for 2023.
Inflation continues to rise, and 51 percent of SMBs surveyed said that the cost of goods and services is their biggest business challenge.
Ordering packaging satchels bulk will help you plan ahead for the coming year and reduce costs. You might even get a discount if the stockists are cleaning out their inventory before the end of the calendar year.
Noissue offers beautifully designed packaging that is both personalised and environmentally friendly. This will help you to differentiate your business from others and surprise and delight your customers.
When you are busy, it is best to look for shipping companies that can offer bulk orders and bulk editing tools, as well as deliver door-to-door. This will save you time from standing in the post office.
These simple tactics will help you focus on more important tasks such as marketing or customer service, while driving customer loyalty through rapid product delivery.
Giving customers an experience that will make them happy
It can feel as if there’s not enough time to get through the day when the holiday season is in full swing. It is important to ensure that your customers are always number one, and deliver a great customer experience during the holiday season and beyond.
In our new study on the state of small business, we found that almost half (46%) had planned to offer free shipping during this busy season. They also plan to continue offering free shipping until 2023. Free shipping is a great way to reduce cart abandonment. It’s also an opportunity to say thank you and give back to your community for their continued support.
Maintaining proactive communications and transparency can help build trust and loyalty. By keeping your website, emails, and social media up-to-date, you can make your customers feel valued and avoid disappointment by missing out on the best-selling products. By building this relationship today, you can be sure that your customers will still be with you in 2023.
Tell your customers that this is their last chance to get gifts under the Christmas tree before December 25. The deadline for domestic deliveries is this Thursday, December 15th, for short-haul deliveries across the country and Monday, December 19th, for same city deliveries.
Shipping and policy that is customer-friendly
One in two Australians are actively searching for greener products and services. SMBs can help their customers by investing in sustainable services to create a more ecofriendly future for 2023. SMBs are concerned about the bottom line, but greening can be cheaper. Using suppliers who are committed to sustainability is an easy way to make your business more sustainable, without having to make major (and costly) changes.
You can reduce your carbon footprint by using a carbon neutral shipper or purchasing sustainable and recyclable packaging. You can reduce your carbon footprint by buying locally. This will also cut down on the time that items are in transit. Why not start today? Sustainability will only become more important.
December is a busy month for SMBs. Small businesses can keep Christmas spirit alive with the right preparations and customer care. They will also be in a good position to prepare for the year 2023. Prioritising communication and organisation will help you to give shoppers an excellent customer experience. This will allow them to launch into the new calendar year with a strong customer relationship and lasting loyalty.
