Santa Claus is coming to town.

So check out our list of tips for making sure your small business is on track for a fantastic Christmas period.

1. Get festive

Keep customers engaged with a festive environment in your business. You would be surprised how far some Christmas decorations can go. Why not think up a special Christmas promotion for your customers? We all love to get a little something extra, so get creative with your promotion ideas.

2. Use Social Media

Can you even remember a world without Facebook and Instagram? Small businesses should use social media to engage with customers over the lead up to Christmas. You could share gift ideas or do a countdown to Christmas. Make sure you use lots of images as they promote more engagement.

3. Plan ahead for expenses

Make sure you think about the costs that many come about this Christmas season such as Christmas parties and gifts for staff. Account for holiday pay requirements as there may be penalty rates to pay in some instances.

4. Put off spending

Put off expenses that can wait until cash flow is more abundant. These could include things like repairs or maintenance.

5. Monitor your cash flow

Work out where your business is at by using your small business accounting software. You should be able to get an overview of what your regular cash flow cycle looks like from this. Use this information to make important decisions not only in the holiday period but throughout the rest of the year too.

6. Reward your staff

If you run your own small business you will know that your team are your greatest asset. Take time to celebrate all they contribute to your business. Too often we focus on marketing strategies and the numbers and forget that it’s  the people that make any organisation great.

7. Plan your holidays

If you want some time off over Christmas take the time to talk to your staff so you are confident that things will keep operating as they should while you are away. Delegate tasks to responsible team members and leave instructions for these tasks so that they can have something to refer to while you are gone.