Every year the media and social media sites are abuzz with comments on Easter Buns being on sale straight after New Year - but have you ever wondered why?

There are 2 very simple reasons really:
•    Business Planning
•    Maximizing sales.
The rights and wrongs and personal likes and dislikes don't really come into it. The simple fact is everyone running a business needs to plan for all of those events that impact on your business so that you can do your utmost to maximize sales - throughout the year.

There are a number of predictable 'events' every year that may or may not impact on your business (or that may provide an opportunity to increase sales if you planned better). These include (but not limited to);

•    The Christian Christmas and New Year
•    Hannukah
•    Ramadan
•    Orthodox Christmas and New Year
•    Chinese New Year
•    Easter
•    Valentine's Day
•    Mothers Day
•    End of Financial Year
•    New Financial Year
•    Fathers Day
•    Halloween
•    Thanksgiving
•    School Holidays to name a few.

In addition there may be events unique to your business such as Clearance Sales, New Product lines, rebranding of your corporate image (logo etc), mergers and aquisitions, changes in key personnel, etc.


All of these events provide your business with sales opportunities but you need to plan for it. In the previous Blog we talked about how the retail industry are masters at making their window and shop displays look fresh on a weekly (sometimes less) basis.

However, why is it that businesses create a website then expect it to generate business - sometimes for years with few or nil changes?

The reality is your website is a member of your sales team for many reasons including:
•    They are available 24/7.
•    They never take a sickie.
•    Information is the same for every potential client (anyone who manages sales teams will be aware how messages sometimes get watered down by the time they reach customers).
•    They provide an opportunity to get client feedback instantly - that avoids waiting for the weekly or monthly sales report or meeting.
•    They can sell more than one product/service at a time at the same skill level or professionalism for each.
•    They can promote your business at the highest level possible (with good use of SEO).
•    They can report back on how your company is performing against competitors (with Analytics).

So while the website is such a valuable asset to your company it's worth is diminished without good business planning. For example, it's pointless waiting until two weeks before Easter and thinking you have time to use that seasonal event as a way of promoting your business, your products and services and turning that into extra sales. You need to work backwards from any event and calculate when you want an event campaign to begin. From there count backwards again to ensure you have time to revamp your website, arrange other advertising and promotional material (if needed), order stock etc.

That sort of business planning needs to be done for each and everyone of those seasonal events and other events unique to your business.

While we may knock the Easter Buns on sale at New Year, those manufacturers and retailers know well that consumers will make repeat purchases throughout the lead period up to Easter - maximizing their sales opportunities (and profits). It's finding how to do that in such a way that is relevant to your business that will provide dividends.