Everybody knows those "early holidays" people. You know the ones. The ones who start playing Christmas music before Thanksgiving; who have all their gifts bought and wrapped before you even start your shopping; who put their Christmas tree up way too early and take it down way too late.
If you are one of those people, then more power to you. For the rest of us, the thought of jumping ahead so far on the calendar is a little too much to contemplate. We've got enough on our plates with the day to day, after all. This is especially the case for retail business owners, who often have a hard time just finding enough hours in the day to get everything they need to get done for their businesses.
And yet, those holiday early worms might just be onto something, particularly as applies to the world of retail. In fact, making early preparations for the holidays as a retail business owner is more than just admirable; it could very well be critical for your retail sales success.
So, with the holidays coming up quick, here are a few tips to help you start planning for your best-ever retail holiday season now.
Get Your Ducks In a Row
Are you planning to offer holiday specials? Do you know what you need in terms of inventory? Are your team members trained up and ready to roll for the busy holiday season? These are all some of the typical questions retail business owners should ask themselves when preparing for the holidays. Another important one is, "Is your consumer finance program in a good place?"
Holiday shopping can stretch many budgets to near the breaking point. It's a time of year when consumers of all stripes are looking for flexibility and options when it comes to making purchases in a variety of retail categories. Now is the right time for you to analyze your consumer finance program and see where you can make improvements to better meet your customers' needs.
Have Fun Along the Way
One way to give your consumer finance program a big boost is to ensure that your team members offer financing options to every customer, every time. Emphasize to them that this routine doesn't have to be rote or robotic; it can actually be a great way of engaging customers and developing better relationships with them.
Build the word 'fun' into both your consumer finance program and your holiday business preparations. Shopping at your business should be a joyous experience, whether a customer is buying a product outright or financing it.
You want to not just prepare your business for the holidays, but to also get your team members into the holiday spirit. Some extra cheer and enthusiasm could be the thing that sets your business apart from the competition.
Make the Most of Technology
You may have seen the word 'technology,' and thought, "It's way too late to improve that for the holidays." Actually, now is the perfect time to explore improving your retail business technology suite, for this holiday season and beyond.
Start with your consumer finance program. If your application process is slow and dreary, if your reporting tools are weak, and if the customer service from your solutions provider is a little too Scrooge-like, now is the time to make a move.
Check out what FormPiper, a complete consumer finance automation solution has to offer. With the ability to fill forms across multiple applications with a single press of a button, convenient, detailed reporting, managed and self-managed service options, and superb customer service, FormPiper is a great option for any retailer looking to gift themselves, their team members, and their customers an improved consumer finance experience.
Why wait until next year? See how FormPiper can make your next holiday retail season a special one starting today.
