5 Things to do in September to Prepare for Q4

With Labor Day in the rearview mirror and summer solidly behind us, my favorite time of the year is finally here: the holiday season!

I know, I know, you probably haven’t even thought about Halloween costumes yet– but if you run a gift box or other product-based business (and if you’re reading this, I’m guessing you do!), you KNOW that the holiday season starts now.

This is the season we’ve been planning for and waiting for all year long. September through December can be a wild ride, but as a product business owner, it’s SO fun and SO exciting (and, ok, maaaayyybee just a little stressful… but mostly exciting!).

We’ve already put the final touches on our holiday lineup, and before this month is over, we’ll even blast our first Christmas carols throughout our studio, to get our whole team in the holiday spirit (“It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” is a favorite ;)).

Holiday singalongs aside, here’s a short list of other things we’re thinking about this month to gear up for the holiday season:

1. Getting organized

You may recall our new studio has been under construction for the past few months. It’s juuuust about done and we can’t wait to get set up and settled before the holiday orders start rolling in. Whether you’re working out of your guest room or a warehouse, now is the time to make sure your workspace is organized and set up efficiently!

2. Finalizing our holiday lineup

We always launch a seasonal collection, so we’ve been putting the final touches on our holiday line sheet and catalog.

3. Shipping

We expect shipping times will be longer this holiday season than usual (just like last holiday season!)– for us and for our vendors! We’re reaching out to vendors now to see what they expect their holiday lead times to be–and we’re even placing some final inventory orders for the year this month!

4. Black Friday

We’re planning our Black Friday and holiday marketing strategy now, so we’ll be running on auto-pilot come November and December.

5. Hiring

We know we’ll need extra helping hands throughout Q4! Now’s the time to hire and train our contractors (we lovingly call them “Teakettes”), so they can hit the ground running during the holiday rush.

What would you add to this list? Are you expecting a busy holiday season like we are? What’s the #1 thing you’re doing this month to prepare? Whatever it is, I’m cheering you on!

xx,