{"id":1676,"date":"2019-10-30T09:48:42","date_gmt":"2019-10-30T09:48:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.oconnorcpafirm.com\/blog\/?p=1676"},"modified":"2019-10-29T18:28:05","modified_gmt":"2019-10-29T18:28:05","slug":"how-to-prepare-your-store-for-black-friday-and-small-business-saturday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.oconnorcpafirm.com\/blog\/2019\/10\/how-to-prepare-your-store-for-black-friday-and-small-business-saturday\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Prepare Your Store For Black Friday And Small Business Saturday"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Even though the holiday shopping season\u2019s starting line is a bit blurry, many retailers still consider \u201cBlack Friday\u201d (the day after Thanksgiving, or the fourth Friday in November) a good starting point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In recent years, the Saturday after Thanksgiving has come to be known as \u201cSmall Business Saturday<\/a>,”encouraging consumers to skip the larger retail chains and shop at small, local businesses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Per The 2018 Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey, 96% of consumers who reported shopping on\u00a0Small Business Saturday\u00a0said the day makes them want to\u00a0Shop Small\u00a0all year long, not just during the holiday season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even though some small business owners don\u2019t believe they can compete with the larger stores that can offer deep discounts and scores of inventory\u2014and they shouldn\u2019t when it comes to price wars\u2014there are still ways for them to capitalize on this very busy shopping time of the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prepare Your Staff<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Impress upon your staff the importance of these sales events for the store. First, make sure everyone knows that they\u2019ll be needed on Black Friday and Small Business Saturday. If an employee typically has Friday or Saturday off, check with him or her to determine if his or her availability might be different for these two days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make sure they are intimately familiar with whatever promotion or sale you\u2019re going to run. If there are exclusions, make sure your staff knows. If there is a standard percentage off, consider giving them a pricing sheet that lists common price points and the subsequent savings. That way, if customers ask what the sale price is, your staff can quickly state it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lastly, if you can, provide a few amenities in the back room. Stock up on bottles of water, bring in snacks and consider having lunch delivered to the store for your staff. This will make coming in to work that day not as much of a hardship, and help employees to stay energized throughout their shifts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take Stock of Your Sales Equipment<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

If you only have one point of sale location in your store, consider setting up one or two other portable registers. You could rent them to save money. This includes portable point of sale options that can run on tablets, making it easier than ever to make your point of sale mobile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, don\u2019t forget the non-technical stuff. Do you have enough receipt tape? What about bath tissue for the break room? And shopping bags? Make sure you\u2019re stocking up now on these essential items so you\u2019re not caught unprepared on the big day. You can even set up your employees throughout the store to keep traffic ways clear and avoid the crush of a long queue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Determine the Type of Sale, if any, That You Will Promote<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

As a small business, you can\u2019t compete with the large chain stores and their deep discounts. You can gain sales, however, by opening earlier than normal on Black Friday and promoting unique items or special sales. Taken from a different view, however, you may decide that offering discounts will only hurt your bottom line,\u00a0especially when considering your business\u2019 fixed costs<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In other words, discounted prices may make Black Friday a losing proposition. Black Friday shoppers are notorious\u2014and occasionally ruthless\u2014when looking for deals. If you choose not to offer a discount, don\u2019t expect the typical Black Friday shopper to patronize your store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Black Friday is not a day for leisurely shopping and taking time to browse. It\u2019s about getting in, getting a deal and getting out. So, unless you\u2019re offering something truly special, don\u2019t expect a huge influx of shoppers in those wee hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Update Your Website<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Even if you don\u2019t host an e-commerce storefront, make sure your website is updated with a few key holiday details:<\/p>\n\n\n\n