The holidays are a busy time of year, especially for small businesses. There are a lot of things to think about and prepare for in order to make sure that your business is ready for the holiday rush. But don't worry, we're here to help. The Homewood Chamber Of Commerce put together a holiday preparation checklist to help you get organized and make sure that you've got everything covered. Let's get started:

1. Start Spreading Cheer From Your Storefront

First things first, you'll want to make sure that your storefront is looking festive and inviting. This is a great way to attract customers and get them in the holiday spirit! Put up some holiday lights, hang some wreaths, or whatever else you think will look nice. Just make sure that it looks warm and inviting so that people will want to come inside.

2. Make Preparations for the Holiday Rush

It's important to be prepared for the increased customer traffic. Make sure you have enough staff on hand to handle the influx of customers and try to keep things running as smoothly as possible. It's also a good idea to have some sort of system in place for dealing with large crowds so that people don't get too frustrated while they're waiting in line.

3. Add Extra Staff for the Holidays

If you don't already have seasonal staff, now is the time to hire them. Extra hands will be very helpful during the holiday rush, so make sure to bring on some additional staff members if you can. Seasonal employees can be a great asset to your business, so take advantage of them!

4. Make Gifting Easy for Shoppers with a Gift Guide

People are always looking for gift ideas during the holidays, so why not create a gift guide for your store? This is a great way to help people out while also promoting your products or services. You can either create a physical gift guide that people can pick up in-store, or you can create an online version that people can view on your website or social media channels.

5. Update Your Marketing Channels for the Holidays

Make sure that your marketing materials are updated with any holiday promotions or deals that you'll be running. This includes things like your website, social media accounts, email newsletters, etc. Customers should be able to easily see what deals you're offering so that they can take advantage of them.

6. PDFs are Great for Promotional Offers

PDFs are a great way to create promotional offers that can be easily shared online or printed out and distributed in-store. You can use PDFs to create coupons, discount codes, or even just simple flyers promoting your holiday sales. Once you’ve got your promos made up in one file, these quick steps show you how to separate pages in a PDF. That makes them easier to distribute as needed. Be creative and come up with something that will really capture people's attention.

7. Keep Last-Minute Shoppers in Mind

There are always going to be people who wait until the last minute to do their holiday shopping, so it's important to make sure that your store is prepared for them too! Have some last-minute specials or deals available so that people can still get what they need even if they waited until the last minute. This is also a good time to promote gift cards as a last-minute option for people who might not know what else to get someone.

8. Make Sure to Give Back to Your Community

The holidays are also a great time to give back to the community that has supported your business throughout the year. There are many ways to do this, such as donating items or money to local charities or organizing food drives within your community. Giving back is always appreciated, and it's something that customers will remember when they think of your business.

The holidays are a busy but exciting time for small businesses, and by following our holiday preparation checklist, you can make sure that your business is ready for anything this holiday season throws its way. From decorating your storefront and creating promotional offers using PDFs, to giving back to the community, there are many ways to ensure that your small business has a successful holiday season!

Access even more great resources to help your business grow and thrive in our community by joining the Homewood Chamber Of Commerce.