Get Ahead of the Holiday Rush: 10 Things Small Businesses Can Do Now 

TL;DR

Get Ahead of the Holiday Rush:  10 Things Small Businesses Can Do Now 

It may feel a little crazy to start thinking about the holidays when summer is barely over, but Black Friday is only a few months away. And for many small businesses, the busiest season of the year has a way of arriving faster than expected. 

Before you know it, you will be juggling holiday promotions, increased customer traffic, inventory needs, employee schedules, and a growing to-do list. 

The good news? You don’t need to have every holiday promotion finalized or decoration picked out today. Getting a head start on a few key areas now can help you avoid last minute scrambling and put your business in a better position when the holiday rush begins. 

Here are 10 things your small business can start doing now to prepare for the holiday season. 

1. Look Back Before You Plan Ahead

One of the best places to start your holiday planning is last year’s holiday season. Take a look at your sales reports and think about what worked, what didn’t, and where you ran into challenges. Even a quick review can help you make smarter decisions this year. 

Consider questions like: 

You don’t have to repeat exactly what you did last year. Customer preferences, your business, and the economy may all look different today. But past performance can give you a useful starting point for deciding where to focus your time and budget. 

If something worked especially well, think about how you can build on it. And if something caused headaches, now is your chance to address it before the rush begins. 

2. Start Mapping Out Your Holiday Promotions 

You may not be ready to start advertising holiday specials just yet, but now is a good time to decide what you want those promotions to look like. Depending on your business, that could include holiday sales, gift cards, product bundles, service packages, loyalty rewards, or limited time offers. 

You can also begin planning around key shopping dates such as Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday. 

Starting early gives you time to think beyond the discount itself. How will customers hear about your promotions? Will you use email, social media, your website, in-store signage, or a combination of channels? Will employees need special instructions for applying discounts or processing promotional offers? 

Creating even a simple holiday marketing calendar can help you see what’s coming and prevent the last minute scramble to create promotions, emails, social posts, and signage all at once. 

3. Make Sure It’s Easy for Customers to Pay 

The holiday season is all about convenience. Your customers are busy, and the easier you can make it for them to complete a purchase, the better. 

Take some time to look at your current checkout experience from the customer’s perspective. Can customers pay using the methods they prefer? Depending on your business, that might include traditional credit and debit cards, contactless payments, mobile wallets, online payments, or payment links sent by text or email. 

Think about convenience beyond the physical checkout counter, too. A customer might want to pay for an order over the phone, purchase something online before picking it up, pay an invoice from home, or buy a gift card without visiting your business. Providing flexible ways to pay can help you meet customers where they are. 

This is also a good time to make sure your payment equipment is ready for increased use. Test card readers, update devices if needed, and make sure employees know how to handle the different payment types your business accepts. The middle of a holiday rush is not when you want to discover that a payment option isn’t working. 

4. Take a Closer Look at Your Technology 

Your point of sale system and any other technology should make busy days easier, not add more work. 

Before the holiday season arrives, think about the tasks that tend to take up the most time when business picks up. Are employees manually tracking inventory? Are you using separate systems for in-store and online sales? Is scheduling becoming difficult as you add seasonal employees? Are you spending too much time pulling together reports or managing customer information? 

Point of sale systems can help with much more than processing a transaction. Depending on your system, you may be able to manage inventory, employee schedules, customer information, loyalty programs, online orders, invoicing, and reporting from one place. 

You don’t necessarily need to overhaul your entire setup before the holidays. Instead, look for small opportunities to streamline repetitive tasks or make information easier to access. Saving a few minutes here and there may not sound significant now, but during your busiest weeks, those efficiencies can add up quickly. 

5. Get Ahead of Inventory and Supply Needs 

Few things are more frustrating than realizing you’re running low on an important product or supply right when business starts picking up. 

Use what you learned from last year’s sales, along with what you’re seeing this year, to identify the products, supplies, or materials you’re most likely to need. 

If you sell physical products, consider which items are likely to be popular gifts or holiday purchases. If you’re a service-based business, think about the supplies you need to serve additional customers. 

Don’t forget about the less exciting essentials either. Receipt paper, shopping bags, packaging, shipping materials, printer supplies, and other everyday items can become a problem if you suddenly run out. 

It’s also worth checking with suppliers about holiday lead times. Shipping delays and increased demand can make certain items harder to get later in the season. 

The goal isn’t necessarily to stockpile everything. It’s to have a plan for the items that are most important to keep your business running. 

6. Prepare Your Team 

Even a great holiday plan can fall apart if your employees don’t know about it. 

Start thinking now about whether you’ll need additional seasonal help, extended hours, or schedule changes. If you expect to hire temporary employees, getting started earlier gives you more time to recruit, onboard, and train them before customer traffic increases. 

This is also a good opportunity to make sure your entire team understands your holiday plans. Employees should know about upcoming promotions, gift card policies, discounts, return procedures, and any changes to store or business hours. They should also feel comfortable using your POS and payment technology so they’re not trying to learn new processes with a line of customers waiting. 

Think through some of the questions customers are likely to ask, too. When does a promotion end? Can an item be returned after the holidays? Can a gift card be used online? Having consistent answers can make things easier for both employees and customers. 

A little extra preparation ahead of time can help your team move more confidently and keep the customer experience consistent when things get hectic. 

7. Give Your Online Presence a Holiday Checkup 

Even if most of your business happens in person, there’s a good chance customers will look you up online before they visit. Take a few minutes to see your business through their eyes. Is your address correct? Are your business hours up to date? Is it easy to find your phone number? Does your website work well on a mobile device? 

As the holidays get closer, make sure any special holiday hours are clearly communicated across your website, social channels, and online business listings. 

If you offer online ordering, appointment scheduling, or ecommerce, test the experience yourself. Make sure customers can easily find what they need and complete the process without unnecessary steps. 

You can also use this time to update product descriptions, service information, photos, FAQs, and other details customers may be searching for. 

A little cleanup now can help customers get answers quickly and reduce the number of calls, messages, and questions your team has to handle later. 

8. Think About Cash Flow Before Sales Pick Up 

More sales are great, but increased business can also mean increased expenses. 

You may need to purchase additional inventory, bring on seasonal employees, increase marketing, extend business hours, or invest in equipment before the holiday revenue starts coming in. That’s why holiday preparation should include a look at your cash flow. 

Start by estimating the additional expenses you expect over the next few months and when those bills will need to be paid. If possible, build some extra room into your budget for unexpected costs. 

It’s also important to understand how quickly money from your sales reaches your bank account. Review your payment processor’s funding schedule so you know when you can expect deposits, especially around weekends and holidays. 

If you think you may need additional business financing to purchase inventory or cover other seasonal expenses, explore your options before the need becomes urgent.  

9. Review Your Return, Fraud, and Chargeback Procedures 

Higher transaction volumes can also bring more returns, payment disputes, and opportunities for fraud. Before things get busy, review your policies and make sure both customers and employees understand them. 

Start with returns and refunds. Will you offer an extended holiday return window? Are there products or services that can’t be returned? How will gift receipts or exchanges be handled? Clearly communicating these policies upfront can help prevent confusion later. 

It’s also a good time to review basic fraud prevention practices with employees, particularly anyone who will be new to your team for the holiday season. 

For online or other card-not-present transactions, make sure you’re keeping accurate transaction, order, shipping, and delivery records. Good documentation can be especially important if a customer disputes a purchase later. 

And make sure you know how your payment provider communicates chargeback notifications and what steps you’ll need to take if you receive one. Knowing the process before a dispute happens can make it much easier to respond within required timeframes. 

10. Test Everything Before You’re Busy 

Once you’ve made your holiday plans, give everything a trial run. Process a few different types of transactions. Test your online checkout. Make sure discounts and promotions are set up correctly. Check card readers, receipt printers, scanners, and other equipment. Confirm employees can access the systems they need. 

If you offer contactless payments, mobile wallets, online ordering, appointment booking, or payment links, test those experiences too. 

You can even walk through a few common holiday scenarios from beginning to end. What happens when someone buys a gift card? Places an online order for pickup? Needs a refund? Uses a holiday promotion? 

It’s much easier to troubleshoot a small issue on a quiet Tuesday than when customers are waiting during one of your busiest days of the year. 

Wrapping Up 

The holiday season can bring exciting opportunities for small businesses, but you don’t have to wait until the rush begins to start preparing. 

Looking at last year’s performance, planning promotions, reviewing your payment and business technology, preparing your team, and thinking ahead about inventory and cash flow can help you enter the season feeling more prepared. 

You don’t need to tackle everything at once, either. Start with one or two areas that could make the biggest difference for your business and build from there. 

Because when the holiday rush does arrive, you’ll probably have plenty to keep you busy. Anything you can take off your plate now is one less thing you’ll have to worry about later.

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If you’re thinking about whether your payment setup is ready for your busiest season, we’re here to help.

FAQs

When should small businesses start preparing for the holidays? 
Ideally, several months ahead. Starting early gives you time to plan promotions, inventory, staffing, technology, and expenses. 

How can small businesses prepare for the holiday rush? 
Review last year’s performance, plan promotions, prepare inventory and staff, check your technology, and estimate seasonal expenses. 

What holiday promotions should small businesses consider? 
Consider seasonal sales, gift cards, bundles, loyalty rewards, and offers tied to Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, or Cyber Monday. 

How can businesses make holiday checkout easier? 
Offer convenient payment options like cards, contactless payments, mobile wallets, online payments, and text or email payment links. 

How should small businesses prepare inventory for the holidays? 
Use past sales and current trends to anticipate demand, order important items early, and check supplier lead times. 

Why is cash flow planning important during the holidays? 
Inventory, staffing, and marketing expenses may come before holiday revenue, so planning ahead can help you manage those costs.