Everyone will be offering discounts and special offers, so it’s important to make sure your offers stand out, are valuable, and that there’s a strategy behind them.

In addition to getting ready for the holidays, the fourth quarter is also a time to start planning and preparing your business for the New Year. With most of us still wearing all the hats in our business; getting an early start on planning can really help to reduce stress and keep you motivated through the holidays and into 2022.

If you’re running behind in creating your Quarter 4 strategy, we’ve created a checklist to help you get the ball rolling because it’s not too late.

1. Get your website ready for the holidays

 A lot more traffic is going to be coming to your website so, it’s important that you prepare it to handle the numbers. Beef up security, and optimize your images, product, and service descriptions.

2. Prepare holiday campaigns and promotions 

You don’t want to wait until the month or week of a holiday to start promoting your offer. Make sure you leave enough time to drum up excitement about your promotions and engage with your customers.

Prospecting for new leads is always a good idea however, during the holidays, you should really be focusing your efforts and attention on your current customers because they already know about your brand and what you offer. They already trust your brand which makes it easier to sell to them.  Your current customer list generally knows what to expect and has already instilled their trust in your brand.

3. Check your inventory and restock what’s needed

Take inventory and promote or discount any products that aren’t selling. The holidays are a great time to reduce your inventory and make room for new products. Old inventory makes for great giveaways and gifts to add to your customer’s order.

4. Review any pending clients and check for abandoned carts

Send out reminders to abandoned carts and follow up with any pending clients. You can’t set clear goals for Q1 of 2022 if you still have incomplete transactions. 

5. Plan your client and employee gift list

Don’t wait until the last minute to pick up gifts for your team or VIP list. Giving gifts shows you care and appreciate your employees, as well as your customers and clients. Gifts don’t have to be super expensive remember, it’s the thought that counts. 

6. Celebrate Small Business Saturday

Small Business Saturday is one of the most lucrative days for us small business owners because well, it’s an entire day dedicated to supporting and celebrating small businesses everywhere.

Host a sale or consider participating in a local Pop-Up shop to showcase your products. Pop-ups are fun and a great way to get your community familiar with your products or services they also help you connect with other small business owners in your area.

7. Start planning for 2022 Q1!!!

Kick the year off right with a solid strategy in place for your business. During this time, you should be reviewing and reflecting on this year’s analytics and setting goals for the first quarter of 2022.