Small business management advice: 20 tips for Christmas in July

A fun event for any small business retailer is Christmas in July. Here are twenty tips to get you started on the opportunity:

1. Check with your local council or business association as to what they have on – more and more are running Christmas in July events. Be sure to check with charities too.  A quick search online shows plenty do. Talk to suppliers to see whether they have anything which could help you embrace the opportunity.
2. Run the Christmas in July campaign over no more than two weeks in July. One week could be enough.
3. Choose dates which are away from any other promotion – it works best with little competition.
4. Get all employees together, seek their ideas and explain the value of the season you are creating.
5. Set aside a defined space at the front of the store.
6. Dress the team and the store to suit the Christmas theme.
7. Display any spare Christmas stock from last year.
8. Play Christmas music.
9. Choose a day for an extra special celebration and make this an all-out focus.
10. Have a competition for the kids around the theme. This could be a coloring competition –display their works of art as parents and family will visit to see.
11. Create a giant Christmas stocking which one lucky customer can win.
12. Use the event to discount slow moving items – try and create a real sense of bargains.
13. Promote the event using a flyer to houses around your location – it is a great way to draw people into your shop. On the flyer, promote the activities and any specials.
14. Call the local paper and get their attention.
15. Connect with a local charity that is busy at Christmas time and use your Christmas in July event to raise funds for them.
16. Use the promotion to drive interest in Lay-by for more expensive items. The sooner you lock people in on more expensive items the better.
17. Consider running the promotion with other retailers – the more noise you create the better.
18. Don’t wait for suppliers to offer products – ask what they have.
19. Being Winter in Australia, Christmas in July is your opportunity to have a cold Christmas event.
20. Have fun.