Whether it is the pre Christmas period, the beginning of the school year or even the summer, preparing for the busy season can be extremely testing for a business. Therefore, certain techniques should be employed to allow for an easy transition into what is always a company’s most demanding time of year.

Do not get caught off guard through ill preparation. Take the additional time that you have as a business during the slower period and use it to effectively prepare for peak season and the predictable hike in sales that accompanies it. Solid preparation will enable your business to get the most out this busy season, while failure to handle the peaks properly may lead to significant losses.

Make sure your online presence is performing

Now is the time to review your website, testing extensively for glitches and other weaknesses. Another pivotal move is to update (remodelling if necessary) your social media strategy. Consider expanding your business to multiple social media platforms if you haven’t already e.g. Twitter account for constant updates on news of your business’ operations; Instagram profile for posting photos of business events and new products and Facebook page for announcing special competitions to win company products/services.

Consider a recruitment drive

Sales figures are on the up, which will consequently stretch your business’ resources. A rise in employee numbers will allow you to capitalise on the increase in sales and therefore boost net profit figures. Allocate sufficient time and money to train new employees in order to fully prepare them for peak season. After all, your employees are the ambassadors of your company’s image and must therefore possess constantly updated knowledge of your offering.

Review your offering

Is what you are selling in good shape and how does it fare against your competitors?  Remember, an offering is more than merely the product/service itself. It contains elements that serve as additional value to your customers such as availability, technical support, post purchase care and engagement or overall quality of service. For example, responding quickly to service requests demonstrates to the customer that you are a reliable supplier. To become the leader of your market one must ensure that all customers’ needs are met in a better manner than their alternative options offer.

Prepare for busier day-to-day operations

Take the necessary measures to guarantee smoothness in daily activities. Create a spreadsheet detailing everything that must be achieved each day so that you don’t forget or miss anything out. Outline your daily goals here as well to remind yourself of the company’s aspirations.

Invest in a virtual phone system to effectively deal with telecom challenges. During peak season your incoming calls will invariably increase and it is paramount to maintain a quality customer service and answer all calls quickly and efficiently. eVoice is an interesting solution to handling busy periods as it comes with 14 sophisticated call management features so you can efficiently manage accounts as business picks up and maximise productivity and performance.

Review your relations with customers/clients

If you’re a B2C business then ensure your customer handling skills are on form and that your employees can offer end-to-end customer care. If you’re a B2B business then review your relations with existing clients and make sure you are in a position to maintain strong relations with them throughout peak season. Furthermore, confirm that your strategies to win new business are up to scratch.

And if our words aren’t enough incentive then perhaps this man could shed a little light on the matter: Benjamin Franklin:"by failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail”.