5 Tips for a Successful First Holiday Season
In November 2014, Kathryn Neel, owner of Sappho Chocolates and member of Staples: Small Business Network was about to enter her business’s first holiday season. With one of the most popular holiday treats lining her shelves, Neel knew her business would be much busier than usual, but the attention this small Daytona-based chocolate shop wound up receiving was much more than she ever expected.
“We discovered that Thanksgiving to New Year’s is total insanity,” she says. “We learned a lot and feel like we’ll be better prepared for the demand this year.”
With Neel's second holiday season about to begin, she shares five takeaways from her first, including how to maximize sales and minimize stress.
1. Do as Much Prep Work as Possible
For business owners entering their first holiday season, Neel recommends forecasting what your top sellers will be based on your most popular items year round. If those items require extra legwork, forecasting can allow you to do that work ahead of time, ensuring that you don’t sell out and lose sales.
2. Leverage Technology to Stay Organized
Before owning Sappho Chocolates Neel worked in the tech industry, so she enjoys using modern solutions to help her stay organized. Two of her go to apps for optimal organization are Easilydo Premium and Evernote.
Neel uses Easilydo Premium, a virtual assistant app, to help her keep up with appointments, shipments of supplies and any receipts for Sappho Chocolates. “Without Easilydo I would never know where I was supposed to be or which meeting I was supposed to be in,” she says.
To keep track of her overall schedule and her ideas for chocolates, Neel uses Evernote, an online notebook app. “I put everything in there so I can’t lose it,” she says. “If the computer crashes or I lose my phone, I can still log in and find what I need.”
3. Outsource Some of the Work
In 2014 Neel was CEO, head chocolatier and the company’s entire IT department, a combination that turned out to be overwhelming. This year, she has outsourced management of the business’s website and social media accounts, allowing her to focus on what matters most — her customers.
4. Ask Friends and Family to Help
When you’re starting out, it can be challenging to hire seasonal help. Neel suggests leveraging the help and expertise of friends and family for low-?cost or free labor.
“For us, it’s easy because anyone who helps gets chocolate,” she says. “It’s important for business owners to realize they can’t do everything. Find people with a similar passion or who care about you, and ask for their support.”
5. Partner With Other Local Businesses
One of the best ways to boost your holiday sales is to partner with businesses and organizations that complement what you do. Sappho Chocolates participates in a number of local charity events, donating chocolates to worthwhile causes. The company also partners with local restaurants to do pairings of beer or wine with its chocolates.
“Every community has an ecosystem of businesses and this can be a good place to get exposure,” Neel says. “You’ll also have a good time connecting with others in your area.”
