If you run your own sole trader business, Christmas time can be the most hectic time of the year. You have so many things to do before the last-minute Christmas Eve rush and Boxing Day sale that it’s difficult to know what to prioritise.
With your Christmas marketing strategy in full swing and the last couple of months of planning coming to fruition, it is easy to get swept up on racing towards the finish line and miss out on important things leading up to it.
Fortunately, there are some last-minute opportunities you can do to get your sole trader business through to January.
So here’s five quick marketing ideas to give your sole trader business the edge this Christmas period and a quick reminder about ensuring you are protected from risk for the year ahead.
- Show your Christmas spirit
Whether you’re run off your feet or sick to death of *that* irritating Christmas song (you know the one), it’s important you portray to your customers that you’re as happy as Rudolph in a rainstorm.
Think about the experience you want to create in your sole trader business. If you’ve got good foot traffic through your store, put on a festive hat and hang some tinsel around.
And if you want to put on Christmas music, go ahead! One study even indicates that it can help people get into the mood for Christmas and spend more.
Go all out if you have a busy shopfront and make it as flashy as your neighbour’s Christmas light display.
But be sure to keep it in reason. No one wants their mortgage broker in a Santa suit explaining the latest interest rate hikes.
- Send out some Christmas cards to your clients
If your sole trader business is in an industry that traditionally is quite serious or critical, perhaps a Christmas card will do the job.
Whether you send it by email or post, a holiday card with a thank you message is usually a lovely thing to receive at this time of year.
Plus, it’ll keep your sole trader business at the top of your customers’ minds right when it counts.
- Offer some jaw-dropping discounts
At this time of the year, chances are you are not the only one feeling a bit disorganised. Hordes of people will be on the lookout for any crazy last-minute deals to buy their co-worker a Kris Kringle gift and fill the Christmas stockings.
Be sure to be the sole trader business that stands out from the crowd by offering some competitive discounts on your hot-ticket items.
It’s also a good idea to jump online and advertise the sale to your customers through social media or your website. This will increase online sales and will likely get people in through your doors.
- Offer gift cards
While gift cards are the most notorious gift you can get someone next to socks and jocks, they are usually well-received at Christmas time.
A gift voucher can help ensure that the gift you bring is never a miss as your loved ones can buy exactly what they want.
One study found 84% of Australian consumers want a gift card for Christmas, indicating that Aussies love a lazy present.
This is why heavily pushing the sale of gift cards can be a great marketing tactic for your sole trader business before and after Christmas.
If you have physical gift cards on hand, put them right near the counter and offer them for people who aren’t sure what to buy.
If you operate online, consider designing some e-gift cards and advertise them through your social channels to attract some quick sales.
- Offer some bulk-buy sales
Your sole trader business will most likely provide a few similar products or services. Why not consider bundling them together to increase the units per sale?
Take a moment to find these similar items and ensure you tie them together at the front of your store or wherever you advertise your products or services.
Customers love a bargain, so be sure to show how much they will be saving when they choose to bulk buy.
Protect your sole trader business for the year ahead!
Christmas will likely be flat out for your sole trader business. The added revenue might fill the coffers, but it can also increase the risks you face.
When you’re flying solo, it’s important to recognise that the buck stops at you. Sole traders are legally and financially responsible for all parts of their business. That means if you make a mistake or an accident, you will be personally liable for any claims being made against you.
Dealing with a claim is the last thing you need the night before Christmas so be sure that you are covered by the various types of sole trader insurance found through Public Liability Australia.
Public Liability Australia knows sole traders. We know that it’s getting hectic which is why we’ve made it simple to compare insurance for your business. View quotes from some of Australia’s leading insurers, choose the cover you want and buy.
And then you can get back to the silly season with all the joy and frenzy it’s promised to bring!
This information is general only and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. It should not be relied upon as advice. As with any insurance, cover will be subject to the terms, conditions and exclusions contained in the policy wording.© 2022 BizCover Pty Limited, Public Liability Australia is a business name of BizCover Pty Ltd (ABN 68 127 707 975; AFSL 501769)
