Mid-Year Moves: 3 Smart Ways Small Business Owners Can Prep for the Holiday Season Now

The middle of the year is the perfect time to prepare for what’s coming. And for small business owners, that means getting ahead of the holiday rush.

From budgeting to branding, now’s your chance to set the foundation for a profitable end of the year. Thinking that far ahead will drive success for your business and keep you ahead of your competition.  

Here are three effective strategies you can put into motion today to finish the year strong and stress-free.

1. Review your financial health and create a holiday-ready budget 

As you prepare for the holiday season, take a close look at your year-to-date sales data to identify which products or services are performing best. These top sellers can be bundled into holiday-themed packages or gift sets that can increase your average order value and make purchasing easier for your customers.

Take a look at your year-to-date revenue and expenses. Are you making a profit? Do you know your best-selling, high-margin products? Consider pairing a high-demand item with a slow-moving product or offering a free gift with purchase to incentivize larger orders — especially if the free item is cost-effective but valuable to the customer. Look at your profit margins, seasonal relevance, and inventory to help guide your packaging strategy.

Create offers that feel special, thoughtful, and hard to resist — while still protecting your bottom line.

Once you’ve got a handle on your numbers, use that insight to build a holiday-specific budget. Set aside funds for seasonal marketing, extra inventory, and any additional staffing needs.

“Using financial software like our Money Pro helps generate reports to identify critical information about your business,” says Christi McKittrick, marketing manager at ZenBusiness. “Understanding which products are best for creating a cost-effective holiday bundle or solving inventory issues with a ‘buy one/get one free’ offer could unlock significant sales potential for your business.” 

2. Optimize your online presence for the holidays 

Generic messages won’t break through the noise during the holidays, especially when you’re competing with countless other brands for attention. Instead, use your buyer personas and sales data to create targeted, personalized campaigns — particularly through email — that speak directly to the needs and interests of your ideal customer. Trying to reach everyone dilutes your message, wastes valuable time, and drains your budget.

Focus on starting meaningful conversations with your core audience by showing them how your product or service meets their specific needs. Begin planning early, segment your email list, and create content that builds trust — not just sales. That’s how you build loyalty, drive conversions, and stand out during the busiest season of the year.

“Creating a marketing calendar for the holidays is critical. You can develop a theme, craft all of your messages well in advance, and plan out the posts,” says McKittrick. “It makes marketing easier to execute because you are tackling it all at once. If you want to create a one-off post, it adds to and enhances your plan. Don’t get caught scrambling to find something to post about each week. Plan it!”

Be sure that your website is ready for your customers. Make sure it’s mobile-friendly and easy to navigate. You don’t want potential customers to get confused while on your website. Be sure to have clear calls to action (CTAs) like “purchase now,” “learn more,” and “contact us.”  Test a potential customer’s experience on your website to ensure that they won’t run into any errors or issues while purchasing.

“Using pop-ups or banners on a website to highlight your holiday promotions is a great way to engage your target audience over the holidays,” says McKittrick. “Everyone loves a deal, so be sure to capitalize on it when you offer one. We also recommend a special holiday landing page to drive traffic to and have the holiday theme as a nice touch during the season.”

3. Plan for efficiency and automation

One big area that gets many small business owners into trouble — especially during the busy holiday season — is not taking the time to implement automation. It’s easy to get caught up in the daily demands of running your business, but manual processes quickly become overwhelming.

The good news? Many time-saving tools are easy to set up and can make a huge impact. For example, automated email responses can instantly acknowledge customer inquiries or order confirmations, send abandoned cart reminders, and provide personalized thank-you notes, giving you and your customers peace of mind.

Another critical area is invoicing and payments. Instead of manually sending invoices and chasing payments, use tools like QuickBooks, FreshBooks, or ZenBusiness’s Money Pro to automate recurring invoices, set payment reminders, and even accept payments online. These tools can sync with your accounting software, saving hours of back-and-forth.

By setting up these systems now, you’ll not only save time but also reduce stress, improve customer experience, and free yourself up to focus on higher-impact work like marketing strategy, customer service, and fulfillment. Think of automation as a holiday gift to your future self.

Be sure to audit your current inventory and forecast your expected holiday demand. This will set you up to get ahead of ordering to avoid delays. Don’t let a supply chain issue affect your busiest part of the year.  

“We work with a lot of small business owners who haven’t taken the time to get ahead of the holiday rush and end up not only having to manage the increase in sales during that time, but also having to problem-solve returns, customer issues, and more,” says McKittrick. “Taking time to set up and test systems to address these issues and automating them for efficiency and effectiveness will not only save time, but will reduce stress.”

Final Thoughts: Start now, celebrate later

The holidays might seem far away, but waiting until fall to prepare can cost you revenue — and peace of mind. Set yourself up now for a successful season by aligning your finances, compliance, marketing, and operations.

At ZenBusiness, we’re here to help with tools, templates, and expert-led webinars that guide you through every stage of your business. Whether you’re building a business plan or boosting your brand, we’re your go-to resource.

Disclaimer: The content on this page is for information purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, or accounting advice. If you have specific questions about any of these topics, seek the counsel of a licensed professional.