tiny businesses schedule events, commence marketing earlier to deal with shorter holiday shopping period

The holiday shopping period is underway, and this year tiny businesses have less period to capitalize on the busy shopping period.

Only 27 days divide Thanksgiving and Christmas — five fewer than last year. But there are still ways to make the most of a shorter period.

The National Retail Federation predicts that retail sales will rise between 2.5% and 3.5% compared with same period a year ago. Online shopping is expected to develop too. Adobe Digital Insights, a division of software corporation Adobe, predicts an 8.4% boost online for the packed period.

But tiny businesses have to work extra challenging to compete against bigger retailers. One key way is to promote deals to customers wherever you can, from social media to physical ads. Also, cultivate repeat customers by offering special deals to loyalty program members.

Roberta Perry, owner of ScrubzBody Skin worry Products shop in Farmingdale, N.Y., said she started offering a “Buy One, Get One Free” promotion a week early — the Friday before the Black Friday holiday shopping weekend. The holidays are key for her because she makes 30% of her sales in the six week holiday period.

Offering the discount early “has given us the chance to hype our own special sales day, and receive away some of the pressure from people who commence their period the following week,” she said. “It also gives us a week before the factual holiday period begins to send out the orders and get set for the next few weeks.”

On Black Friday and tiny Business Saturday, she offered a free gift with purchase and then for the rest of the holiday period is offering free gift wrapping and cards.

She also extends her hours in December.

“Anything to make our customers lives easier,” she said.

Amy Peterson, co–founder of Rebel Nell, a jewelry shop in Detroit, dealt with the shorter period by starting promotions early and creating a “Design Your Own Jewelry” occurrence to draw in customers.

“These efforts assist us stand out and provide customers a rationale to shop early and often,” she said. The “Design Your Own Jewelry” encounter is “a great activity for friends and household, allowing customers to craft something truly distinctive,” she said.

The shop also launched a special holiday collection featuring crystals and pieces made with material from a historic theater in Detroit, Fox Theatre, which recently went through a renovation.

Those pieces “resonated with customers seeking meaningful, one-of-a-benevolent gifts,” Peterson said. “Trends display shoppers are still expecting Black Friday promotions, and while tiny businesses like ours can’t match the margins of large box stores, we’ve embraced the chance to remain competitive and display growth to our faithful customers.”