6 Tips to Prep Your Small Business for the Holiday Hustle

As the holiday season approaches, small businesses face both an exciting opportunity and a unique set of challenges. Whether you're a long-established company or a growing start-up, preparing your business for the holiday rush is essential if you want to see success during the most wonderful time of the year. Below, we share six essential tips to prepare your small business for the holiday season, along with actionable strategies and holiday promotion ideas to help you stand out in a competitive marketplace.

1 - Make a Holiday Marketing Plan

Marketing plays a crucial role in standing out during the holidays. But successful campaigns aren’t about simply shouting into the void – they’re about reaching the right customers with the right message. Focus your marketing on festive promotions that resonate with your audience. Email marketing campaigns are highly effective during this time as consumers are frequently checking their inboxes. Make sure you’re sending targeted messages that highlight seasonal offers, holiday gift guides, or exclusive discounts.

Don’t forget about social media. Engage your audience with holiday-themed content—whether it’s offering sneak peeks into your holiday preparations, running a festive giveaway, or simply showcasing your best-selling holiday products. Create a content calendar that includes key dates such as Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday, and plan promotions around those dates. A few holiday promotion ideas for small businesses include:
 

• Early-bird discounts for customers who shop early
• Limited time offers tied to specific holidays (example: "12 Days of Christmas" sales)
• Free shipping promotions or special gift-wrapping options
• Holiday-themed email marketing campaigns featuring festive graphics and messaging

A successful small business’s holiday marketing strategy starts with being proactive and creative. Use these tactics to generate buzz around your brand and encourage early holiday shopping.

2 - Optimize Your Inventory for Holiday Sales

The holidays are a time for celebration—but also strategy. Your sales tactics during this season can make or break your year. By analyzing previous holiday performance, you can zero in on what worked and what didn’t. Leverage that insight to avoid running out of key products during peak times. Here are a few holiday tips for small businesses when it comes to inventory management.

Forecast Demand

Use last year’s holiday sales data to anticipate which products will be in high demand this season. Consider emerging trends or popular holiday gifts in your industry.

Diversify Inventory

Stock both your best-selling items and holiday-specific products, such as holiday-themed merchandise or exclusive gift sets.

Inventory Tools

Invest in an inventory management system that tracks your stock in real-time. It’s also a good idea to perform frequent stock counts to avoid over or under-ordering. Depending on your point-of-sale system, you may have inventory tools already available at your fingertips.

Merchant Services Terminals

Ensure your point-of-sale (POS) system is modern and user-friendly before the busy season starts. Efficient and quick checkouts are essential during the holiday rush to keep customers happy and lines moving.

3 - Get Festive with Holiday Promotions

With so much noise during the holidays, it’s essential to think outside the box. Unique and creative promotions can be help you stand out from competitors. Here’s how to leverage both in-store and online holiday sales.

Encourage Early Shopping

Run promotions that reward early shoppers. An example could be “Shop early and save 20%” campaigns. This tactic spreads out demand and helps avoid overwhelming your inventory and staff closer to peak holiday shopping days.

Boost Your Online Presence

Update your website for the holidays with festive banners, holiday gift guides, and a seamless user experience. Your website should be mobile-friendly, as more customers are shopping on their phones and tablets. Make sure your holiday campaigns include a strong online presence, particularly for Cyber Monday and other digital shopping events.

Highlight Popular Gift Ideas

Use your website, social media, and email marketing campaigns to showcase best-selling products, gift sets, and holiday-exclusive offers. Offering bundles and limited-edition holiday products is a great way to drive sales and create urgency.

Leverage Small Business Saturday

Participate in Small Business Saturday to promote your brand and connect with customers who are looking to support local businesses during the holidays.

4 - Spread Cheer with Exceptional Customer Service

Customer service is the backbone of any successful holiday season. With increased foot traffic and online orders, it’s important to make sure your customer service team is prepared for the rush. Here are some key customer service tips for small businesses during the holiday season:

Train Your Staff: Make sure your team is well-prepared to handle the holiday rush. Provide customer service training that emphasizes patience, efficiency, and holiday cheer. These qualities can encourage repeat business.
 

• Be Responsive: Respond quickly to inquiries, whether they come through social media, email, or your website’s chat feature. Fast responses can mean the difference between making or losing a sale.
• Create a Return Policy: Simplify your return or exchange policy for the holiday season, so customers feel confident making purchases. Clearly communicate these policies at checkout, on your website, and in your email marketing campaigns.
• Offer Gift Wrapping: Consider offering gift wrapping services in-store or for online orders to make your business a one-stop-shop for holiday gifts.

Clear communication is critical—especially when it comes to holiday shipping deadlines and return policies. Offering multiple ways for customers to reach you, whether through extended hours, online chat support, or quick response times, can make all the difference.

5 - Host a Holiday-Themed Event

Hosting a holiday-themed event is a great way to bring customers into your store and create a memorable experience during the busy season. Events such as “Cookies with Santa,” a holiday-themed product launch, or a festive open house can help your business stand out while creating an emotional connection with customers. Here are some ideas for hosting a holiday-themed event:
 

• Cookies with Santa: Invite families to bring their children to meet Santa, enjoy holiday treats, and take pictures. This is a great way to engage your local community and attract foot traffic. 
• Holiday Product Showcase: Host an exclusive in-store event to unveil new holiday products, gift sets, or promotions. Offer refreshments, live music, or a holiday raffle to enhance the experience.
• Workshops: Offer a DIY gift-wrapping class or holiday décor-making workshop that ties into your brand’s products or services.

Hosting a holiday event not only creates a festive atmosphere but also gives customers a reason to visit your store, shop, and spread the word about your business.

6 - Promote Gift Cards

One of the easiest and most effective ways to drive sales during the holiday season is by promoting gift cards. Gift cards are an ideal option for customers who aren’t sure of what to buy their loved ones – they also make great stocking stuffers and prizes for family games. Here’s how to promote gift cards effectively:

Prominent Placement

Make gift cards easily accessible at checkout, both in-store and online. You can also feature them prominently in your email marketing and social media efforts.

Special Initiatives

Encourage sales by offering promotions such as “Buy a $50 gift card, get a $10 bonus card” to increase gift card purchases.

Holiday-themed Designs

Use holiday-themed gift card designs to make them more appealing as festive gifts. Offering e-gift cards is another way to make gifting convenient, especially for those shopping at the last minute.
Gift Card Bundles: Pair gift cards with small items like holiday accessories, mugs, or other branded merchandise for a ready-to-gift bundle.

SouthState Merchant Services can help you create custom physical and digital gift cards to match your brand aesthetic. To find out how you can get custom gift cards just in time for the holidays, contact a merchant representative today.

Preparing your small business for the holiday season doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With the right strategies and thoughtful planning, you can take full advantage of the holiday rush. SouthState is proud to support our footprint’s numerous small business clients with checking accounts, cash flow management, employee services and much more. To find out how we can help your business, visit our website.


About the Author, Matt Vegter: Matt Vegter is the Senior Vice President, Director of Small Business Banking at SouthState Bank. A banker for 15 years, he’s always had a passion for working with small businesses. His inspiration to serve small businesses comes from watching his father start and grow a mobile home and modular transportation company in central Florida for over 40 years. 

In 2017, Matt helped SouthState develop a small business loan program, Business Lending Express, which streamlined and simplified the underwriting process for small business loans. Now leading the Small Business effort for the bank, Matt aims to grow small business clients throughout SouthState’s footprint. 

Matt holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Southeastern University, a master’s degree in Business Administration from Stetson University, and is a graduate of the Florida School of Banking as well as the Stonier Graduate School of Banking at the University of Philadelphia.