The Stress-Free Holiday Prep Your Business Needs
You know how we walk into a store, see Christmas decorations before Halloween, and think, “Really? Already?”
Well, if you own a business, that might be your cue.
Time to start planning.
Because nobody wants to spend December scrambling to create graphics, explain overlapping sales, track down shipping deadlines, and answer messages while their family is waiting for them to put down the phone.
In this episode of The Other 99%, Lisa and I talked about holiday business planning for direct sellers and small business owners. The question we kept coming back to was this:
What can you do now that your December self will thank you for?
Here are a few places to start.
1. Look Back Before You Plan Your Holiday Promotions
Before you dream up an entirely new holiday marketing strategy, look at what happened last year.
Which products sold well? What questions did customers ask? Which posts started conversations? Did a particular event or offer bring people back?
I love looking back through old social media posts because I forget what I shared. Sometimes I find something and think, “Oh! People really liked that!”
You can reuse a good idea. Update the details, check the links, and give it another turn.
Your customers probably don’t remember everything you posted last week. They certainly aren’t keeping a spreadsheet of last December’s graphics.
Also, think about what your company typically offers. If it usually creates holiday bundles, leave room for those instead of spending hours building something similar yourself.
2. Choose Simple Offers That Leave You With a Profit
Holiday excitement can make it very easy to give away your commission.
A discount here. Free shipping there. A little extra gift. Suddenly, you’ve done a whole lot of work without much income to show for it.
You are allowed to rely on your company’s sales and specials. You don’t have to add another discount just because someone else is offering one.
If you do offer a personal promotion, include the full cost: the gift, packaging, postage, and any discount you’re covering.
Lisa shared that she used to choose gifts with purchase that were inexpensive to mail. Even when a customer lived nearby, one trip to the post office could be easier than making several deliveries.
That is the kind of detail worth thinking through now. A thoughtful offer should be manageable to fulfill, too.
And leave yourself room to adjust. If your company announces a promotion that overlaps with yours, revisit your plan before automatically stacking everything together.
3. Set a Holiday Income Goal That Means Something to You
Lisa shared that her holiday business goal was to cover Christmas expenses without carrying credit card debt. Having that purpose helped her work backward and plan the sales activity she needed.
What would you like your business to help pay for this season?
Start with the amount you want to keep after expenses, then work out what sales would be needed based on your commission or margin.
And before chasing a company incentive, take a look at what you already own.
If you have inventory sitting in a closet, could some of it become ready-to-shop holiday gifts? I’ve enjoyed putting gifts together from products I had on hand and offering customers a few easy choices.
Selling existing inventory can bring cash back into your business. Remember to account for what those products originally cost when figuring your profit.
A recognition prize is fun. A business decision that supports your actual income goal deserves your attention, too.
4. Make Shopping With You Ridiculously Easy
Lisa stopped us during the episode to emphasize this one, and she was right.
You may think shopping with you is easy. Have you tried it from a customer’s perspective?
Ask someone to start at your social media profile and find the place to order. Give them very little instruction and watch where they get stuck.
Check a few basics:
- Is your shopping link easy to find?
- Does it lead to your correct consultant storefront or ordering page?
- Do your links and buttons work?
- Are the offer details and deadlines clear?
- Can customers easily find a way to ask you for help?
And yes, check your own links even when you’re sure they work. Someone recently pointed out a broken link on my website. I had created the page but hadn’t published it.
Oops.
Send yourself a test email or text and click through before sending it to everyone else. A few minutes of checking can catch a problem your customer might otherwise quietly walk away from.
5. Keep Your Holiday Marketing Clear and Recognizable
During our conversation, I received a promotional text with what looked like a great offer.
The problem? I couldn’t figure out who sent it. There was no clear name, company, or link telling me what to do next.
Don’t assume customers have saved your number or kept your previous messages. Identify yourself clearly, especially in texts.
Something as simple as “Hi Susan, it’s Lisa from…” gives the message context.
Clarity matters with holiday sales, too. When promotions overlap, even I can get confused—and this is my business!
One thing I’ve done is put the sales, start dates, end dates, and shipping deadlines into one clear graphic. It helps customers understand their options, and it helps me keep everything straight.
Make the next step obvious. People already have enough decisions to make during the holidays.
6. Use Your Systems to Give Yourself Some Breathing Room
Think about what you can prepare before things get busy: emails, social posts, answers to common questions, gift suggestions, and follow-up reminders.
Lisa shared an idea for a business owner whose party calendar was full: organize her party content on a website page so hosts could guide guests through it, with clear ways to contact her for help.
That kind of system can create another option when you’ve reached your limit on live events.
You can still offer personal service while giving customers ways to browse and shop without waiting for you to walk them through every step.
Also, revisit past customers. Who might appreciate help choosing gifts? Who purchased something last year that could make shopping easier this year?
A personal, helpful message can belong right alongside your scheduled content.
7. Put Family Time on the Calendar—and Remember January
Before filling every weekend with vendor events and parties, decide how much you want to work.
What family plans do you want to protect? When will you be unavailable? How many events can you realistically handle?
I remember a year when a promotion started on Thanksgiving Day. I decided I wasn’t spending that day on my phone promoting it. I wanted to be present with my family.
You can make those decisions ahead of time.
While you’re planning, give January a little attention, too. Lisa and I talked about how easy it is to reach the holiday shipping cutoff, close the laptop, and then return in January wondering where the business went.
One approach I’ve used for Black Friday is offering a future shopping credit: spend a certain amount now and receive a credit to use in January. If you try something similar, make the terms clear and include that future cost in your planning.
You can also prepare a January follow-up or customer check-in before taking your holiday break. Give yourself something to come back to.
You don’t need to map out every detail today. Start with one planning session: review last year, choose a realistic goal, check your shopping links, and block off the time you want to protect.
Then build from there.
Your business deserves a thoughtful plan. You deserve to enjoy the season with the people you love.
For more real-life examples, practical ideas, and a few laughs along the way, watch “The Stress-Free Holiday Prep Your Business Needs” on The Other 99% podcast.
What is one thing you can prepare this week that your December self will thank you for?
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