Behind the Scenes: How I Prepare My Small Business for Christmas

It Feels Like Christmas!

It’s been feeling like Christmas since June.

Yes, really. That is how early I start thinking about the festive season! 

During my first year of running my small business, I was quite surprised by just how quickly Christmas sales started coming in. One minute it was autumn, the next I was surrounded by mugs, tissue paper and enough packaging to open my own post office! 

Since then, I've become much better at planning ahead, particularly when it comes to stock, packaging and getting new products ready.

But there's a lot more to preparing for Christmas than simply making sure I have enough mugs and boxes. There are new designs to create, promotions to plan and social media content to organise.

So, grab yourself a cuppa (or perhaps a hot chocolate if we're getting into the festive spirit) and let's take a little look behind the scenes at what goes into getting my small business ready for Christmas.

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Stock: Making Sure I'm Prepared

One thing I've learnt over the years is that popular products can disappear surprisingly quickly.

In previous Christmas seasons, I've had items sell out much faster than expected. The problem? By the time I go to reorder, my suppliers have sometimes run out too!

It's not particularly helpful when everyone else is also preparing for the busiest shopping season of the year.

That's why I now start ordering my sublimation blanks and supplies in October. I look at my September and October sales figures to help work out which products are likely to be popular and what I need to stock up on.

Of course, it's always a bit of a guessing game. You never quite know which design will become the unexpected bestseller!

This year, with sales being a little quieter, I've been more careful with my ordering. I'm concentrating on making sure my most popular products are well stocked rather than filling every available cupboard with supplies.

After all, I still need somewhere to put the Christmas decorations!

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Packaging: The Not-So-Glamorous Essentials

Packaging might not be the most exciting part of running a small business, but it's certainly one of the most important.

When Christmas orders start flying in, the last thing I want is to discover I've run out of envelopes, boxes or tissue paper.

There's nothing quite like having to stop packing orders to place an emergency packaging order. Especially when your to-do list is already longer than Santa's!

I make sure I have plenty of the essentials ready before the busy period begins. This includes boxes, envelopes, tissue paper and all the little extras that make opening an order feel special.

I also make sure I have a good supply of thank-you and care cards ready to pop into parcels.

It's a small detail, but I love being able to add that personal touch to every order.

Getting everything organised in advance means I can spend less time worrying about supplies and more time creating, packing and getting those lovely orders ready for their new homes.

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New Designs: Christmas in July Is a Real Thing!

Christmas in July really is a thing when you're running a small creative business!

I've usually got several festive ideas floating around my head by the middle of summer. Once the summer holidays are over, I start refining those ideas and turning them into actual products.

But why start so early?

There are a couple of reasons.

Firstly, I want to catch the attention of those early Christmas shoppers. Not everyone waits until December to buy gifts, and some people are wonderfully organised (I can only aspire to be that organised!).

Secondly, new products need time to find their audience.

Whether it's Etsy, Pinterest or social media, getting listings and content out early gives my products more opportunities to be discovered by potential customers.

Leaving everything until November means missing out on those earlier shopping opportunities and trying to squeeze everything into a much shorter selling window.

I also don't want to rush a design just to get it listed in time for Christmas. I want to enjoy the creative process, experiment with ideas and make sure I'm happy with the finished product.

A little forward planning means better designs, more time to promote them and hopefully a few more Christmas sales!

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Final Posting Dates: Don't Leave It Too Late!

This is something that goes straight to the top of my November to-do list.

Royal Mail usually publishes its recommended final posting dates for Christmas in late October or early November. These dates are incredibly useful when planning orders and communicating with customers.

As soon as they're available, I make sure I know which dates apply to the different postal services I use.

I also update my Etsy listings and website with the relevant information. This includes adding the dates to product descriptions and listing images so customers can easily see when they need to order to give their gifts the best chance of arriving before Christmas Day.

It's also worth remembering that the postal system gets incredibly busy in December.

Even when parcels are sent well before the recommended dates, delays can happen. Unfortunately, I can't personally jump into a Royal Mail van and deliver everything myself (although some days I think it would be quicker!).

This is why encouraging customers to shop early is so important.

Social media is a great way to remind people about ordering deadlines, highlight popular gifts and encourage a little Christmas shopping before the December rush begins.

A few well-timed reminders can make all the difference, both for customers and for my own sanity!

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Mistletoe, Wine and a Little Christmas Magic

So, are you feeling ready for Christmas yet?

Preparing for the festive season takes a lot of planning, especially when you're running a small business from home. There's stock to order, packaging to organise, new products to create and enough marketing to keep a small business brain spinning!

But I genuinely enjoy seeing all that preparation come together. There's something lovely about turning an idea into a finished product and knowing it might end up under someone's Christmas tree.

And once the orders are packed, the parcels are posted, and the last-minute jobs are ticked off, it's definitely time for a well-earned mince pie and a glass of mulled wine.

If you're looking for something a little different for your Christmas gifting, why not take a peek at my Panda Motion Designs website or browse my Etsy shop?

If you have a special design idea in mind or would like to discuss a wholesale order, you can get in touch through my contact form or visit my Faire Wholesale store.

Until next time, embrace the busy season, support small businesses and remember to put the kettle on. You'll probably need it!