Starting the New Year with a bang

Most retail stores, whether on or offline, are currently enjoying their busiest time of the year. If you own a small retail store, you might be in the middle of your busiest time ever, trying to keep up with demand without neglecting quality.

You might be stressed out and unbearably busy, but deep down, pleased that your business is doing so well. It's hard work, but you can feel like you've turned a corner, and your business is growing in success. 

At the same time, you might be aware that it won't last. Unfortunately, it never does. The busy festive period is often followed by an exceptionally quiet start to the New Year. For bigger businesses, this quiet period can be a good thing — a time to reflect, to restock, and to plan for the future.

But for smaller stores, an extended quiet period can cause permanent damage. So, let's take a look at some of the things that your retail business can do to start the New Year off with a bang. 

Plan an event

Think of January as an opportunity to get noticed. You might want to get some promotional merchandise printed and head to trade shows or networking events. You could host your own or get involved in activities in your local community. Use the quietness as a chance to step out of your business and into the world. 

Think about your deals 

In January, many businesses launch sales and other kinds of deals. This can be a great way to keep people coming in and to attract new customers in the New Year. But sales don't always work, many businesses remain quiet or find that after a busy week or two things quickly drop off.

So think about the deals that you could offer. Can you even afford a sale? Might you be better off offering free delivery or another incentive to shop? Think about your sales and deals carefully and don't put your business at risk by offering more than you can afford to.

Reward loyalty 

Another option that many businesses neglect is rewarding loyalty. Even big companies focus on new customers instead of rewarding loyalty and bringing old customers back.

You might want to consider offering loyalty rewards or exclusive deals for long-term customers instead. Think about a loyalty card or perhaps offering a voucher to customers that spend money in December so that they can make a saving in January.

Start a little late

If you know that the start of a new year is likely to be quiet, why not take an extended break? Have an extra week off and use the time to plan for the New Year, to look back at your business plan, to make marketing plans, and to work on your advertising campaigns. Give your staff some extra time off, and I'll be ready to hit the ground running when they return to work.

Branch out

If your business is focused online January can be a great time to get out into the real world. Alternatively, if you run a real world store, January might be a great time to launch your online branch. Think about what you can do differently and use this quiet period as a chance to experiment with something new.

If you’re thinking about putting your store online, you should consider what kinds of trends are open to you as a business. It might benefit you to research topics such as Accountancy Cloud reviews the rise in popularity of NOLO beverages and the impact it’s having on e-commerce businesses.

You want every advantage you can get, and it would be very helpful to you to find out everything there is to know about your upcoming platform. Branching out means more opportunities for you to take advantage of, so make sure you pick the right ones!