Notes from Nikki: Holiday planning

As the hustle and bustle of a busy autumn season winds down, we have nothing to do but hold our breath and wait for the next wave of action. Luckily enough, we won't have to wait long until our parking lots are full again and we're busy with the excitement of the holiday season. Don't wander into the holiday season without having a plan of attack, though.

Start by assessing where you are and where you want to be on New Year’s Day in perspective to your holiday sales. Look at aspects such as:

Income vs. expense - Does the profit you make from holiday sales justify keeping extra staff on board and do you make enough off of your holiday items to justify carrying them in the first place? Keeping extra employees increases your overall operating expense and will make whatever extra funds you make from holiday sales almost nullified. Remember, you don’t need qualified staff to sell Christmas trees.

Profit vs. pleasure - Do you sell holiday items because you enjoy it or because you actually make money on them? Sometimes as a business you get sucked into a mindset that you have to carry holiday items because everybody else is. The unique thing about your business is that you don't HAVE to do anything; you're independent, which means you're free to make your own decisions.

Leftovers vs. lucrative - Do you spend more time packing and unpacking your holiday items than you think is necessary? Look at your remaining holiday items as nuggets of cash when the holidays are over. Most of the time you'll make more money selling things at almost wholesale than you would having to pack up and store items away for next year. Also, packing stuff up for the next holiday season will keep you a year behind on the latest trends and holiday style. Don't get left behind when it comes to trends, you'll get the reputation of being dated. Sell the stuff while the interest is there.

By approaching the holiday season with an analytic mind, you'll be able to reconfigure your approach and make the holidays not only a time of joy, but a time of profit as well (and that usually brings joy!)
 

Nikki Weed is a horticulturist and professional adventurer who uses her experiences and knowledge to manage a successful garden center in Greenville, S.C. She can be reached at pepitaweed@gmail.com.