Fourth Quarter Frenzy

Fall may have barely gotten started, with temperatures still firmly in summer territory, but now is the perfect time for your small business to be thinking ahead to the holiday season and beyond. Fourth quarter is when you can make a last-ditch effort to meet the sales goals you set 10 months ago, and utilize the many marketing opportunities these last weeks of the year hold. At Pacesetter, we see every year the stress that our clients experience as the year winds down. With this in mind, we’re happy to offer some tips to end the year on a high note, while keeping your stress at a minimum.

  1. Focus on low-hanging fruit. When you’re crunched for time, aim to sell to customers you’ve already done business with. They’ve heard your sales pitch and experienced your products. And, chances are, they’ll be relatively easy to vet again. Start with your more recent customers and work your way back.
  2. Be creative with your year-end incentives. Remember that your clients will be inundated with hundreds of “happy holidays” and “Merry Christmas” emails and social media posts. Think outside the traditional holiday box and come up with fresh holiday marketing times. Consider World Kindness Day on November 13th, National Sandwich Day on November 3rd, World Vegetarian Day on October 1st, or Special Education Day on December 2nd to name a few.
  3. Delegate well. If this last year found you stressed, overworked, and crunched for time, reach out to those around you who can take some of the burden. For example, think about the hours you waste handling mail and screening calls every month. Couldn’t this time be better spent reaching out to customers or developing your product line? Pacesetter can be your resource for a time-saving Phoenix virtual administrative assistant. Our professional administrative staff can answer your business line with your company name, handle your mail and emails, and deliver your important messages.
  4. Think ahead to post-Christmas days. It was true when you were seven, and it’s true now: you usually don’t get everything you want from Santa. Markdowns of even a few dollars during the “dead week” between December 25th and January 1st can spark your customers into a shopping frenzy. Offer an incentive to make a purchase before New Year’s Day, and you could end your year better than you’d hoped.
  5. Take back your space. Is your home office feeling a little close for comfort? Think about the upcoming holiday season of shopping, entertaining, and wrapping. Wouldn’t you love to not have your home office in the mix with holiday happenings? Move out of the chaos and into one of our furnished, well-equipped Scottsdale offices for lease. Enjoy clean and lavish creative spaces that will allow your creativity and productivity to thrive; and no distractions of home to stall your efforts.

These ideas can help ramp up your fourth quarter and set you in motion for a more profitable year next year.

At Pacesetter, we know small business. We know how to make your business run better, and how to help you the most. Give us a call to see how we can best help your business grow into next year, and many years beyond.