Many, if not most, businesses are seasonal. And the busiest season of the year is usually the holidays.
Whether you own a retail business, a warehouse, manufacturing facility, or another type of enterprise, odds are the velocity of your business will increase during the next couple of months.
The time to prepare for the busy holiday season is well before it begins. Here are some suggestions to help you anticipate the coming holiday rush with the fewest possible problems.
1. Anticipate Labor Shortages
When business ramps up, more labor is usually required. The problem is that finding extra help during the holidays isn’t usually as simple as posting a help wanted ad.
Today, there is more competition than ever for temporary holiday help. Businesses like Amazon and UPS are more aggressive than ever at swooping in and hiring all the available temporary workers in the markets where they operate. So you may have to be more creative than ever in luring part-time or temporary workers to your business.
It’s also a good idea to put your permanent workforce on notice that things are about to get very busy and that they should be prepared for increased workloads, overtime, and other necessary measures to get the job done.
2. Roll Out New Processes with Care
Generally, the busiest time of the year is not the best time to roll out new procedures, install new equipment, or change things up within your business.
A better plan might be to get through the holiday season with the resources and processes you already have and then focus on making big changes once things settle down in the new year.
If you absolutely must implement new processes or procedures, it’s a good idea to do it as early as possible before the busy holiday season is in full swing. This will give you more time to deal with the inevitable problems and complications that will arise as a result of the new way of doing things.
3. Learn from Last Year’s Mistakes
If your business didn’t run as efficiently as it could have last holiday season, don’t repeat your mistakes. Learn from them and make the necessary changes to improve and streamline operations.
Similarly, it’s important to schedule some post-holiday season analysis time at the end of operations this year so you can improve next year’s holiday operations. Running a business is a continual learning curve. Identifying your shortcomings is just as important as celebrating your successes.