Tips to Help Prepare Your Business for the Festive Season

The festive season is one of the most exciting times for small print businesses, especially in the digital print and personalisation game. It’s when customers are hunting for unique gifts, festive decorations, and custom promotional products. With demand at a high, being prepared can make a huge difference between a fantastic festive season or scrambling to keep up.

If you’re running a home personalisation business, it’s all about getting ready ahead of time. Here are some tips to help you gear up and make the most of the holiday hustle.

Check Your Stock and Supplies

The last thing you need when Christmas orders are flooding in is to run out of something important. Stock management is key, especially when it comes to consumables like print media, ink, and packaging.

• Inks and Media: Make sure you’ve got plenty of ink, spares, and substrates stocked up. If you’re printing everything from promotional signage to custom apparel, having a good range of media will help you avoid any surprises and keep the workflow smooth.
• Packaging Materials: Don’t forget packaging supplies, especially if you’re shipping directly to customers. It’s worth having plenty of eco-friendly packaging too – people love it, and it adds a nice professional touch to your deliveries.
• Check Your Equipment: Give your printers and cutters a once-over before the rush hits. Downtime can really mess up your schedule and impact orders. A quick check and some maintenance can go a long way towards keeping everything on track. Register for Roland DG Care and you get the industry’s best service and support, including genuine Roland DG parts, certified Roland DG technicians, and tools to help your business thrive.

Boost Your Production Capacity

When the orders start piling up, you need to be able to handle the workload without getting overrun with stress. The challenge is to keep quality high while finding ways to work faster.

• Extend Your Hours: While keeping a good work-life balance is important, a few extra hours here and there can help you manage the increased demand.
• Get Some Extra Help: If you can, think about bringing in some temporary help or even getting family members involved. It doesn’t have to be anything too formal – just someone to help with packaging, managing social media, or other small tasks that take up time.
• Streamline Your Workflow: Automating repetitive tasks can make a big difference. If you can use software to help set up designs or cut materials faster, do it. The more streamlined your workflow, the more orders you can get through without sacrificing quality. Roland DG Connect is a cloud-based platform that keeps you connected to your device and helps streamline your print workflow, giving you more time to grow your business.

Get Creative with New Product Ideas

The festive season is perfect for experimenting with new products. Customers are always looking for unique gifts and festive decorations, and this is your chance to really get creative.

• Festive Products: Customisable Christmas decorations and stockings are always popular. Maybe you could add some festive designs to your custom apparel – people love a good holiday vibe.
• Limited-edition Collections: Limited-edition festive collections can create that “must-have” feeling. Think about personalised calendars or custom gift boxes that help local businesses stand out.
• Corporate Gifts: Offering custom-branded holiday merchandise could be a great move. Think branded mugs, notebooks, or gifts that help businesses show some love to their customers.

Personalised Products are a Winner

There’s nothing quite like a personalised gift during the holidays. People love giving something that’s unique with a personal touch, so this is your time to shine.

• Custom Gifts: Personalised mugs, T-shirts, phone cases, and artwork are always popular. Plus, personalisation adds value, so you can charge a bit more for the effort.
• Festive Packaging: Offering custom festive packaging can be a big win. It doesn’t have to be complicated - personalised gift boxes or custom labels are enough to make the whole experience feel special. You can also add freebies to orders, like sticker samples, as a bit of added value for your customer.
• Bundle It Up: Bundling products together can be a great way to boost sales. You could offer a gift bundle, like a personalised T-shirt, notebook, and festive decoration - all in a custom gift box. It’s convenient for customers and adds extra value.

Get Your Marketing Game On

Marketing is crucial during the festive season, but make sure you’re using the right approach for your business.

• Social Media: Platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook are perfect for showing off your festive products. Share behind-the-scenes clips of your production process, post photos of finished products, and create some buzz.
• Seasonal Promotions: Limited-time discounts, free shipping, or holiday specials can really help draw people in. Think about doing a sales promotion to encourage bigger purchases.
• Start Early: Many people start their Christmas shopping as early as October, so make sure you’ve got your festive promotions ready well in advance. The earlier you start, the more you can get ahead of the competition.
• Think about Paid Media: You can find out more in our blog “Is It Time to Invest in Paid Online Advertising?”

Be Ready for Last-Minute Orders

There will always be last-minute shoppers, and while these orders can be stressful, they’re also a great opportunity to boost profits.

• Set Clear Deadlines:Make sure your order deadlines and production timelines are clear on your website and social media. This way, customers know exactly when they need to place their orders to get them in time for Christmas.
• Rush Orders: If you’re able to, offer rush orders for last-minute shoppers. Just make sure to charge appropriately for the extra work and tight timelines.

Conclusion

If you’d like any more information on anything you’ve read in this article, our experts would be happy to help.