Regrouping after the rush
Phew, the shipping deadline for even local orders has passed and your orders have slowed from a torrent to a trickle.
Now what?
Take a break.
Seriously, make the most of the brief lull to get some rest. Spend some time with friends and family, enjoy doing nothing for a while and forget about your store.
If you’re going to ignore it completely for more than a couple of days, put it into maintenance mode and put up a quick note letting people know why you’re closed and when you’ll be back. Be aware that January sales are not always as low as you might expect because people are spending any money they were gifted, so opening your store before New Year might be worthwhile.
When you’re rested and recovered and ready to think about your store again, here’s a few things worth thinking about during the quiet period:
- Inventory and supplies – Take stock of what you sold and what you used up and get in your orders for more. It might make sense to get those orders in before January so it should probably be the first thing you consider. Don’t forget things like packing supplies as well as your actual products.
- Numbers – It might be boring but now is an ideal time to consider what sold well and what didn’t. Research the trends and start deciding what to stock for the next year. Also look at your social media stats and Google Analytics and start thinking about what you can improve on to drive more traffic (and sales!) next year.
- Systems – Maybe just me but I love being efficient! If you were rushed off your feet to the point of exhaustion, it might be worth thinking about your order processing and shipping systems to see where you can shave off time. For example, you might look into printing shipping labels at home instead of going to the post office, or rearranging your storeroom so it’s easier to find the product you’re looking for. You might even decide that you need to hire someone next year and start working out how you can make that happen.
Enjoy your vacation!
