4 Ways to Prepare for Your Business for Q4

Here's our favorite tips on how you can prepare for Q4

Only a few days left before the fourth quarter graces us with her presence, and for many, this is the busiest time of year. Whether you are selling yourself or shopping and traveling to be with loved ones over the holidays, Q4 always seems to sneak up and before you know it, the ball is dropping and you’re ringing in the New Year.
We’ve gathered four quick tips for you to prepare for the fourth quarter. Making sure that you’re well staffed, stocked, and prepared in the early season can make for your most successful fourth quarter yet.

1. Review and Reassess Your Goals

Remember at the beginning of the year when we said you should take the time to create and establish goals for each quarter? Well now’s the time to take into account how the rest of the year has gone and how you can achieve or adjust your goals for the fourth quarter.
Maybe you were looking to reach a specific sales goal for the year and you’re really close to reaching it with your projected revenue for Q4. Think about ways you could increase your revenue in Q4 to reach that goal like having an extra sale or using tactics to increase average order value. 

If you’re not going to reach your goals, don’t stress too much about it and just take note for next year! If you’ve surpassed your goals, maybe think about what you can do next year to challenge yourself and think about how you can use your extra revenue.

2. Hire Extra Staff

If your business is increasing exponentially in busyness, considering hiring an extra employee. It’s crucial to take a step back and think about the worth of hiring someone else to lend a hand around your business. Sometimes the extra expense can be worth the stress of your team in the long run. Rather than working you or your current employees to exhaustion, think about the quality of work you can provide with a fresh set of hands around to help. Maybe it’s doing small tasks around the office, doing product fulfillment, or helping with customer service - whatever it may be, consider the worth in having some help.

3. Remember for Key Dates

We recently shared our calendar of important dates for you to mark down in your calendar. It’s important to keep track of these dates for both you and your customers. There may be days throughout Q4 that will be busier and you’ll need to keep more staff on hand - or maybe slower due to holiday closings. Keep track of these and mark your calendar so you can be prepared.

Something else to keep in mind is watching the weather if you live in a place that tends to get more severe weather at the end of the year. If a snowstorm is expected towards the end of the week, make sure you have plans if an employee is unable to make it into work or you happen to be less busy due to poor travel conditions. Keeping an eye on the weather

4. Prepare Extra Supplies

It may seem small, but making sure you have extra printer ink, shipping labels, tape, even general office supplies before it gets busy can be a lifesaver in the future. In the flurry of the holiday season, some of your normal tasks may go by the wayside, so be prepared and have extras of everything. 

Even if you don’t go through all of your supplies during the busy season, it’ll save a trip when you come back after the holidays. Having everything you need to start the new year will make the transition easier for you and your staff.

Bonus: Make Your Hours Known 

Let both your staff and your customers know well-ahead of time your hours throughout the fourth quarter. When it comes to the holiday season, make sure you share your plan with your team then post it on your website, Google Business, and throughout your social media channels. 

This year, Christmas is on a Wednesday, and New Years Eve on a Tuesday. Do you have a plan for your holiday hours before, during, or after these holiday dates? Being prepared as early as possible gives your staff the time to make travel arrangements and your customers to place orders ahead of time if they’re looking for something when you’re out of the office. 

Have a question about this blog or preparing for the fourth quarter? 

Reach out via our chatbot, our contact us form, or call us at 206.384.4909 and we'd be happy to help you prepare for Q4!