By: Natasha Archary
Ke Dezember. A month of festive joy. Christmas everything. And that much anticipated 13th cheque. Let’s not forget the stokvels we’re cashing in. Once you’ve decided how to invest your cash injections, the next question is, where to spend what you have?
This is the time for small business owners to cash in, especially after the negative impact COVID-19 has had on our economy and affecting SMEs.
Businesses that tend to thrive during the festive season are those in hospitality and retail. With travel open again, and many big city dreamers heading home, airbnbs, accommodation and flights usually make up the big spends. From restaurants and small retail spaces to local branches of big franchise businesses, this is where you can cash in.
So how do you take advantage of the festive season to boost your small business?
Read: Cut costs and carpool to your holiday destination
Online advertising
If you want to take advantage of the uptick in spending during the festive to boost your small business, take it online. Start a social media business page and get working on targeted posts to bring in foot traffic. If you don’t have the budget for advertising, online campaigns are perfect to get people to notice your brand/product. Make sure you work on building a page following.
Go digital with payments and orders
A digitally savvy world means you need to keep up with trends and technology to stay relevant. Having a cashless business environment is the way forward. Simply your payment process with either a snap scan option, a service like Yoco to receive payments from international tourists and check with your bank about an alternative digital payment solution to make sure payment clears faster.
Take care of your logistics
Get a head start on your suppliers and make sure you have enough stock to get you through the silly season. Where you do run out, give your customers the option to collect at a later date or arrange to have the order delivered to them, so you don’t disappoint and lose potential buyers.
If you work with a courier, make sure all orders are sent out long before the courier closes. There’s no point in having products that are perfect for the festive season when your customers will only get them in the new year.
Be flexible
Extend your shopping hours. Keep in mind that people are out having a good time, (hopefully responsibly and adhering to COVID-19 protocol) and most would love the option of getting in last-minute shopping, with the absence of large crowds. If people are asking to collect instead of waiting for your courier to deliver, make that an option. Go above your regular business operations to assist a customer’s request as much as possible.
How are you taking advantage of the festive season spending to boost your small business after the lockdown? Tweet us @KayaFM95dot9 using the hashtag #KayaOnline.
