Most businesses will see an uptick in traffic around the holidays as people get ready for parties, travelling, gift giving and all the rest of the fun and fabulous activities that go along with the holidays.
So, with that in mind, the question becomes: how do you get ready for the holiday surge in business? FranNet has some pointers for you.
1. Find Out When it Is
The first and most obvious thing you should do is to find out when the busy period starts for your specific franchise and the best source for that information is your franchisor. They should be able to tell you approximately when the busy season starts and how long it lasts for and what kind of uptick in traffic you should expect.
2. Order Enough Supplies and Stock
When you’re dealing with an influx in customers, you need to have more supplies and more stock and you should get your orders in well ahead of time to make sure you are fully prepared for the wave of customers and the revenue they bring.
You should also have a backup plan for the potential situation of running out of stock. You could set up a rain check system or offer discounts to people who miss out. Alternately, you could make it clear in your advertising that supplies are limited to help create some urgency.
3. Hire Extra Staff
Many businesses hire extra staff during the holidays, so you’ll want to start early enough and offer enough compensation to get the candidates you need for your business. If you leave it too long, you’ll be scrambling for the scraps while everyone else is all staffed up for the holidays.
4. Encourage Staff to Book Time Off Well in Advance
A lot of people are likely going to want to take time off for the holidays and as long as you have enough staff during the break, it should be no problem to accommodate them. You might not be able to accommodate everybody, though. You should encourage your staff to tell you well in advance if they want time off around the holidays to avoid any problems.
And, if someone has booked time off around Christmas the year before, maybe let others have the opportunity to book time off before you agree to give it to that person again. This will help balance things out and prevent one person from hogging all the Christmas holiday availability.
5. Keep it Safe
Increased foot traffic means more people crowding into your place of business, which means more potential for accidents to occur. Spills need to be cleaned up extra quick, mats need to be put down so people can dry their boots and stomp the snow off them and walking corridors need to be kept free of cords and debris. If you’re putting up Christmas decorations, make sure they don’t interfere with people’s movement.
Safety and security are also more of a concern for employees at this time of year. Make sure you always know where customers are, keep tight control over employee only areas and avoid counting large sums of money in front of customers.
6. Get Insured
Consider getting “peak season” insurance for your business, as busier times of the year are when your business will face increased risk and liability. Getting peak season insurance can help you with any unexpected losses you might experience during this period and give you some peace of mind during the stressful holiday season. Your franchisor may be able to help you out with peak season insurance.
The holidays are usually a boon to franchise businesses, but they also bring with them added pressures on resources and staff. If you are prepared, you can face them head on and reap the rewards of this annual uptick in activity. Sign up for a free FranNet franchise search and consultation today and let us help you find the perfect franchising fit so you can have a busy season of your own.