Do you remember a time when the fanciest TVs came with the most complicated remotes? When programming a VCR was a 10 step process? When you had to take a programming course to learn how to put your pictures online?
The meteoric rise of Apple & the passing of Steve Jobs have brought to light perhaps the greatest accomplishment of our era, simplification. In this context, simplification is the process of taking near infinite options & reducing them to a one button device that is so intuitive that the manual is an afterthought. The intention of its creators was that after 5 minutes of playing with it, regardless of age, you instinctively mastered it.
Remarkably, all of this has happened in the last 30 years. Perhaps just as remarkable is in the same timeframe the process of financing a small business remains largely the same. This is not to say there has been no innovation in the field but the experience continues to be paper heavy, lengthy & process driven….far from Simple.
Simplification has become the opportunity of every business. The idea of taking long established, complicated & cumbersome processes & reducing them to simple intuitive clicks is not relegated to the technology sector. It applies universally & will drive customer adoption faster & more effectively than accumulating “likes” on Facebook or any other social media push that prevails today.
I have challenged our executive team to make Advanceit “Simple”. Looking forward to 2012, Advanceit will continue to make massive changes to how small businesses get financed. I look forward to your feedback as we roll out the changes & wish you the very best for the upcoming holiday season.
If you were like me and drove around Montreal this weekend, you would have noticed, besides the unseasonably warm weather, lots of shopping traffic. Whether it was in malls, downtown or independent stores, people were out in full force with their Christmas Wallets open.
Apparently, Montrealers are not the only ones shopping. According to this report the average Canadian will spend almost $1,100 on holiday shopping.
As a reminder to any interested Canadian small business reading this, since we have had many merchants inquiring about additional financing for their business this holiday season. If you are a Canadian business that accepts debit and/or credit cards is looking for financing for your business in order to purchase inventory, pay for advertising or spruce up the storefront, click here to start the conversation, and move your business 1 step closer to receiving the funding needed this holiday season.
The holiday shopping season is an important time for any business. For a majority of small businesses, the holiday season is one of their most profitable times of the year. The ones who succeed are the ones who are prepared – having planned out their marketing strategy, bought extra product inventory, hired more staff and have renovated their locations. Here are some tips on how you can be prepared for the busy shopping season:
1. Plan ahead of time.
Small business owners need to plan and prepare for the holiday season at least several months before the season starts. Start listing and buying products that you know will sell during the holidays as early as possible. Also start planning your marketing campaign , identifying and negotiating prices for advertising and media. Try to get your message out early and consistently throughout the months.
2. Stock up on product inventory
You do not want to run out of stock when your store is filled with customers on a weekend when everyone is looking for that perfect gift! You don’t want to leave your customers frustrated during the holidays when they want something instantly, and not have to wait for it to be delivered. Create a holiday product line such as gift sets or other package deals that will encourage shoppers to Start thinking about your holiday product line and see if you can combine any individual items into gift sets…it’s a great way to attract holiday shoppers and increase your average sale at the same time.
3. Start marketing early.
Not only should you start marketing your store online through your blog, and social media accounts, but look into distributing coupons and other promotions. Create a media plan and buying advertising (both online and in print). And finally, make sure you have a strong PR campaign, especially during the holidays as you want to be consistently in front of your customer. Engage your customers through your email newsletter, let them know as to what they can expect during the holiday season.
Make a plan for the holiday shopping season immediately as it can be very profitable for you if you start developing the foundation now.
