5 Ways to Prepare your Business for the Holiday Rush
The holidays are officially here! It’s the most wonderful time of the year, but it can also be the busiest, especially for business owners. Without effective planning and preparation, many businesses become overwhelmed by the demand that comes with the frenzied shopping season. While some businesses start getting ready for the holidays as early as June or July, it’s not too late to take advantage of these tips and strategies””or to plan ahead for next year’s holiday rush.
Take a look at these five ways to get your business ready for the holidays:
Get organized
Perhaps the best way to survive holiday rush is to plan ahead. Check last year’s sales when planning for this holiday season. What were your slow and busy times? Did you have enough staff on hand? Did you run out of inventory? How can you ensure each customer has a consistent, satisfying experience? Looking at last year’s data will help you know what to expect this year so you can plan in advance and avoid easily preventable mistakes.
Keep inventory well-stocked
For some businesses, the holiday rush means an uptick in orders for your product, or an increase in the orders you make with your own vendors. Use the previous year’s sales data to predict how much inventory you’ll need to keep in stock for the holidays. Likewise, pay attention to your vendors’ ordering deadlines. You want to be sure you get the orders you need in time for the holiday rush.
Know the important shipping dates
If your business sells products online, you’ll need to be aware of the critical shipping dates to guarantee delivery before the holidays. For example, December 14th is one of the last days to ensure an order shipped by ground delivery services arrives by December 25th. Likewise, December 20th is typically the last day for orders delivered by USPS Priority Mail to arrive by December 25th. Make sure you list these important shipping dates clearly on your website, so customers know when they need to place their orders. It will prevent disappointment for all!
Boost morale by giving back
Giving back during the holidays is good for business, good for employee morale, and good for the community. Consider hosting a canned food drive or toy collection in your office. Or, give your employees the afternoon off to volunteer at a local non-profit organization. It’s a great way to spread the holiday spirit and make a difference in the lives of others.
Hire seasonal help
During the holiday rush, many businesses could use a few extra helping hands to keep up with demand. If recruiting, hiring, and training full-time employees isn’t in your budget, consider the benefits of partnering with a local outsourcing provider, like Ohio Valley Goodwill’s Industrial Services Division. Our industrial services team provides kitting and assembly services as well as packaging and fulfillment for businesses in Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, and Southeast Indiana.
When you partner with Goodwill for your local outsourcing needs, you’ll gain access to a large, flexible, and experienced workforce available on a temporary, seasonal basis or for more long-term solutions. Our unique approach to outsourcing labor in Cincinnati enables us to complete jobs at a massive scale while utilizing the problem-solving power of an intelligent workforce.
Most importantly, you can be confident that when you partner with Ohio Valley Goodwill for your holiday outsourcing needs, you’re doing a good thing for your business and your community. That’s because our outsourcing services are part of Ohio Valley Goodwill’s social mission that impacts Greater Cincinnati by providing meaningful employment opportunities to individuals with disabilities. When you partner with Goodwill for local outsourcing services, your business becomes a part of our mission, too!
Learn more about the outsourcing services provided in Cincinnati by Ohio Valley Goodwill. We’re happy to provide a free quote and a free tour of our facilities””contact us today!
