The holiday season can be an expensive time of year. In addition to buying gifts for family and friends, as a small business owner, you must also contend with extra expenses that pop up along with the Christmas trees and holiday lights.
While this increase in spending can seem stressful, in many ways, it can help your small business enjoy a more successful holiday season. As the old saying goes, you have to spend money to make money, and this is especially true when it comes to small businesses during December.
To help make investing in your company easier, consider applying for a small business loan from a company such as Zinch. It offers small business loans that are flexible and able to provide loans for businesses with no credit. Once you secure your small business financing, consider using the cash advance for the following holiday-related expenses:
1. Invest in Holiday Marketing
Upping your marketing efforts is one way to help ensure a more successful holiday season for your small business. Start by looking at what your customers responded to last year, as well as researching the current trends in marketing. Once you determine what you want to do and what your customers will especially like, you can use the money from your business loans to purchase direct mail postcards, TV advertisements, giveaway items, and other things that will help draw more customers to your business.
2. Add to Your Inventory
Another effective way to use your small business loan is to stock up on your inventory. The last thing you want is to run out of products — or the supplies you need to make them — and disappoint holiday shoppers. Focus on your top-selling items and boost your amounts on hand so that when the orders start to increase for the holidays, you can fulfill them quickly and keep your customers happy.
3. Buy Some New Software
To help manage the busy holiday season, you may also want to invest in some new software. For example, Quickbooks is a user-friendly software system great for busy small business owners. With it, you can track your income and bills, send invoices, and much more. Consider the software a gift to yourself, and enjoy a holiday season where you feel more on top of your company’s finances.
4. Hire Seasonal Employees
If you and your team worked many extra hours last holiday, you might want to lighten the load by hiring some seasonal employees. To make this easier on the budget, you can use the funds from the small business loan to pay for these extra employees. The extra hands on deck can help keep you, your employees, and your customers happy, so it is well worth the investment.
5. Decorate Your Business
Even the most bah-humbug customers will appreciate a cheerfully decorated store around the holidays. In addition, a front window that is festooned with lights and a lovely wreath will catch the eye of people walking or driving by, inspiring them to stop in and see what you sell. The small business loan can be used for these holiday decorations, many of which you can use for many years.
Happy Holidays to You!
The holidays are a busy time, but they do not have to be overly stressful on your small business budget. By applying for a small business loan and then using the money for specific things that are needed during December, you will be using your money very wisely and enjoying a successful end of the business year.