Get your sunglasses ready and your fridge well stocked with BBQ favourites: summer is coming! But while the long days and (fingers crossed) great weather are perfectly good reasons to get excited, for many business owners there’s even more to be giddy about.
For lots of businesses, summer is a key trading period and represents a significant opportunity to get the orders flowing and your customer base growing.
With the days ticking down until the official start of summer on 21 June, now is the perfect time to reflect on what you’ve achieved so far this year – and what steps you can take to get your business ready for summer success.
Start planning now
There’s no time to waste. If you want to draw customers to your business and stand out from your competition, you’re going to have start planning and preparing straight away. After all, bold and ambitious ideas can’t just be brought to life with the click of your fingers.
Here are just five things you could be doing to get ready for the summer.
- Start advertising
Are you launching a red-hot offer this summer? Or maybe you’re serving up a scorching new product or service? Either way, you’ll need to get the word out, so start to think about how you are going to advertise your business – either through social media or more traditional methods like adverts, posters and flyers.
- Purchase new stock
Are you in a sector that needs new products for the summer months? If so, it’s time to start buying your new stock. By acting early, you make sure you’re ready for the change in shopping habits as soon as they occur.
You don’t want the hot weather to arrive unexpectedly early, only to find that your business isn’t ready!
- Complete any refurbishments
With the bright sunny days and feel-good mood, don’t let your customers walk in off the street into a tired or slightly shabby store. Something as simple as a fresh coat of paint can have a remarkable effect and can be an effective way to promote new merchandise.
You could also try new fixtures to create a layout that really works for both your customers and your business.
- Dress your store for summer
Have you got some seasonal products lined up for summer? Spend time creating eye-catching displays, focal points and promotional areas.
Window concepts are another key area to get right – make sure you’ve got popular products on display that capture the summer mood.
Inside, you could even consider changing your store’s layout to really get your customers engaged with your business.
- Redesign or launch your e-commerce website
If you know summer is traditionally a busy time for your business, make sure you’re well prepared to maximise every possible sales avenue by investing in a new or updated e-commerce website. Online shopping is more popular than ever and customers increasingly expect to be able to order their items quickly and efficiently online.
If your website isn’t ready for the orders, you can be sure your competitors’ will be. Don’t get left behind!
To find out how our card machines can help your business grow this summer, visit our Card Machines section.
