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It is so hard to believe it is August and we have less than four months left in 2025. Where did the time go?
The holiday season is met with such excitement and anticipation, but for small business owners it can become a paralyzing business obstacle. That obstacle generally becomes clearly visible around now, when the end of summer back to school chaos is kicking off. It is followed by a parade of fall and Halloween festivities, which runs into Thanksgiving mayhem and suddenly the you are staring a giant Christmas hurdle straight in front of you.
What is this hurdle? It is increased marketing campaigns, Christmas promotions, extra events and festivals, and juggling customer service expectations. You have probably noticed from the Halloween decor that began popping up in stores in June, each holiday season seems to begin earlier.
Hopefully, you are feeling excited and motivated to jump into a busy season of sales, but if you are not feeling as prepared as you would like, here are a few tips to get preparations underway.
Create a Plan…and stick to it
In my author business plan I discuss setting realistic goals. Your marketing campaigns, events, and product development should all feed into accomplishing this goal. In the holiday mayhem it is easy to drift off course. Accepting invitations to events that don’t align with your goals can place unnecessary stress on you and your business. Make sure you have clearly defined your goals and only take on projects and events that will feed into reaching your goal.
Building Motivation
It is not uncommon for me to have a discussion with an author at this time of year and have them express frustration that they have fallen short of their goals for the year. Instead of fueling them to finish the year at full speed, this can cause frustration and a lack of motivation. I understand the disappointment missed sales goals can cause but it is important to remember, historically book sales peak during the holiday season.
Also keep in mind, goals can be adjusted. Sometimes the goals we set and unknowingly unrealistic. Economic changes or unforeseen obstacles may impact consumer spending. It is okay to say this was my annual goal, but after assessing performance my adjusted goal to close out the year will be….
Do not let low sales quarters define your business and remember, goals help guide our business strategy and will never be met if you quit.
Organization leads to success
Do you remember hearing your teachers say that as a child? Time to dig that gem out.
If you don’t have a spreadsheet or calendar highlighting events you want to participate in, events you are participating in for at least the next two quarters (although I would encourage you to aim for an annual plan), you are selling your business short.
Opportunities will present themselves last minute, in fact I just added an Amaryllis Author Collective event for September, yes, it is merely a month away. However, the majority of your events should be strategically scheduled in advance, plan today for tomorrow’s success.
Managing Inventory
Inventory is something I am asked about a lot.
How many books should I have at a festival? Should I add more products to my inventory?
My answer is most often….It depends.
Having an event and not having enough product is frustrating, you loose out on sales. When you have to turn a customer away or encourage them to order a product instead of buying now, you increase the potential to not convert interest to a sale.
With that said, having to load products you didn’t sell back into a vehicle is extremely frustrating. Carrying the financial cost or products you have paid for an haven’t sold can be taxing on a business.
There will likely be a learning curve on what events work for your business and ones that don’t. Admittedly, I have participated in events with high expectations only to learn that in the future this event is not my audience. I keep track of sales, and events that aligned with my business goals and ones that didn’t. Try and research events, study the audience, and make inventory adjustments accordingly. Also, keep in mind your established budget. Be careful not to financially overextend yourself on product until your understand your sales metrics.
If you aren’t feeling prepared for the 2025 holiday season, don’t panic, take a deep breath and dive into planning, NOW.
Start planning and preparing to execute your holiday marketing campaigns. If you are in the Northern Virginia area, the Amaryllis Author Collective has a limited number of spots open for a few of our holiday events. Hold on tight, it’s going to be a busy four months!
What is your most successful holiday event?
Find more ways to spoil your inner bookworm!
Check out the Amaryllis Co. Shop, fully stocked with custom designs perfect for every book loving Amaryllis Girl! From shirts, mugs, wine glasses, and more, I have curated a shop with all of my favorites! SHOP HERE! You can also find my collection of bookish merchandise on Etsy.
