AllBusiness.com

AllBusiness.com


Here’s Why Your Business Should Hire During the Holidays

Posted: 13 Nov 2019 10:53 PM PST

It's December. The fiscal year is wrapping up and the days are filled with finalizing budgets, sending and collecting outstanding invoices, and preparing tax documents. Holiday parties are on the calendar, and the office seems a bit quieter as the phones ring less often. It is a time to reflect on the coming year's plans and improvements.

And it's also a time to bring on staff for next year. For job seekers, the prevailing wisdom is that the holidays are a terrible time to look for work. There are too many distractions and people are unresponsive, or so they think.  But this is not entirely accurate. We are human and naturally procrastinate, and sometimes the holidays are the best time if a manager plans well. Chances are an open position has been known for a long time but has not been filled.

Instead of delaying the hiring process, managers have good reason to search for, interview, and hire new employees during the holidays. If you are in need of a new employee in your organization, the holidays are a strategically wise time to invest in recruiting.

Review those resumes and make the calls

Fewer people in the office means fewer interruptions and fewer meetings. It's a great time to finally get to those resumes you've collected for that position you've been neglecting. Let's face it–no matter how important it may seem, most of us don't like the hiring process: the time, the sometimes stilted conversations. It's a big project, though, and the quieter office time is ideal for narrowing down the list of prospects.

In addition to focusing on staffing needs, the holidays offer a greater likelihood of prospects being available for interviews. If they are currently employed elsewhere, it is often easier for them to find time for an interview without disrupting their current work schedule. Since one of the challenges with hiring is matching up interview times, the ease of scheduling makes this time of year for setting up interviews.

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Be prepared for the new year's financial goals

Maybe you've had an opening for a while and are finally getting around to it. Or perhaps the new budget is finally approved and you have the approval to expand your staff. The plan starts in January, so hiring now ensures greater success for the next year.

Hitting aggressive performance goals is a challenge, and if you are depending on an expansion of your staff to successfully meet your goals, this time of year is ideal for building your human assets. If you wait until the first quarter of the year to initiate hiring, you will lose nearly 25% of the new year's productivity for that position. That is significant if the next budget considers what was spent previously. Use the budget wisely and fully with timely hiring at year-end.

In addition, fewer top-level managers travel during the holidays, so it is easier to obtain approval signatures, complete HR paperwork, and onboard employees. Hitting the pavement running in the new year is a real advantage, so be the manager whose department gets rolling with new talent and production goals by being prepared when the calendar turns to January.

Holiday hiring can be a mutual gift

Job searching is hard work, too, and many job candidates need employment. For them, it can seem like there are few job prospects at a time when gift costs and holiday expenses are higher; it can feel like a difficult time of year to be job hunting.

For hiring managers, getting the position filled can be a relief. The stress of knowing that a hiring project is looming can take the joy out of an otherwise joyful time of year. Filling the position takes a load off their shoulders and frees them up to enjoy a bit of holiday reverie before the new year storm of activity begins. Giving someone employment feels good, too.

For you, it is a gift that will pay off in high morale and readiness on the January start date. That works well for your organization. And for the newly hired, knowing that the new year holds the promise of employment and stability makes the holidays extra special. And all that goodness comes by recruiting and hiring during the holidays.

So don't delay. Start recruiting and conducting interviews now. The holidays are an excellent time to review your new employee prospects and to hire, maximizing your productivity and progress toward future goals. It is a wise strategy that will prepare your organization for increased success at the start of the new year.

RELATED: Top 9 Hiring Tips for Small Business Owners

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4 Ways to Get the Most Out of Small Business Saturday

Posted: 13 Nov 2019 09:51 AM PST

By Marie Rosecrans

Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday . . . sometimes it's hard to keep up with all the shopping "holidays." But I always make it a point to celebrate Small Business Saturday. Falling just two days after Thanksgiving, it reminds consumers to support the small companies around their neighborhoods, cities, and states. For small businesses, it's an opportunity to get the word out about what makes your business unique.

Why do consumers like to buy from small businesses? For me, it means personalized shopping. When I walk into the restaurant down the street from my home, it's gratifying to know that Sean at Johnston's Saltbox remembers what my favorite glass of Chardonnay is and knows that I prefer the cheese plate over the olives. It’s a refreshing trend in uncertain times: People are gravitating more to that type of friendlier personalized experience. Connections still matter—perhaps more than ever.

Last year, Small Business Saturday encouraged consumers to spend about $17.8 billion at smaller companies. Excitingly, more people decided to visit and purchase from independent businesses on Small Business Saturday in 2018 than ever before (which bodes well for this year). A whopping 96% of Small Business Saturday shoppers agreed that the day made them want to continue "shopping small" for the entire year. But for business owners, Small Business Saturday can come with its own list of challenges, especially when you're already focused on every other task that comes with running your own company.

Competing during the busy season

Small businesses have to compete with larger companies with more staff and larger budgets. Luckily, technology has become an equalizing force for a lot of small businesses, letting you augment the personalized experiences you offer with, say, the convenience of a chatbot or an automated scheduling system. This is democratizing how businesses reach customers through social reach and impact.

For example, the Healdsburg Running Company in northern California’s wine country combines its online store with an unmatched customer experience and a true sense of community. There are a lot of big-box athletic shoe stores, and plenty offer online capabilities to create a convenient experience. But my sister still gets her shoes from a store two-and-a-half hours away because of the community and culture that the company has created. The owner hosts evening runs and uses a highly engaging Instagram channel to marry the in-person customer experience with an online, interconnected world.

Here are a few ways small business owners can distinguish themselves from larger competitors and focus on the authentic and unique interactions that consumers are seeking on Small Business Saturday (and the rest of the calendar year):

1. Figure out your goals

The first thing you want to do when preparing for Small Business Saturday is to determine what type of impact you want the day to have on your business. You want to plan for the types of marketing campaigns you aspire to put into the market.

Planning well in advance is important, and we’re only a few weeks away. Ideally, you've already begun to map out the day—not to mention what will go into your follow-up efforts. If you haven't started, outline all of your objectives and begin putting the appropriate plan in place.

This might include sending out a series of emails inviting people to stop by, bringing in special treats, partnering with a nonprofit (e.g., being a drop-off site for canned food or household item donations), or partnering with other small businesses that offer a complementary product or service.

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2. Set your targets

In addition to creating a marketing plan, make sure you have an idea of how much traffic you want to generate online and how much foot traffic you hope to achieve in-store. Start by looking at last year's traffic and revenue and use that to determine what type of lift to expect. If you didn't track this last year, start now so that you're continually focused on improvement. Take into consideration how much inventory you have on-site and make sure to order more if needed. A lot of flowing traffic is good; a traffic jam is not.

3. Determine your community engagement strategy

What type of community outreach do you want to do? As a small business, fostering community between your customers and partners is critical. How are you promoting Small Business Saturday on your social channels?

There's a store I frequent in my hometown called Poppy . The owner does a great job engaging followers and prospective followers on social media. In the past, those who shared a social post with the outfits they purchased along with a tag mentioning the store were entered into a contest for a gift card. This is a great way to leverage the power of social media and build that sense of community around your store or product.

4. Provide a unique customer experience

What type of customer experience do you want to provide that day? What is your follow-up plan on all of those people you've touched? You want to make sure you're creating a relationship with that customer in such a way that they keep coming back in the months and years ahead.

The Reading Bug is another small business (and my favorite bookstore) that stands out during Small Business Saturday—and every day beyond that. In a time when most people buy their books online, The Reading Bug helps me find gifts for just about anyone at any age, from books to specialty toys and items you just cannot find anywhere else. But one thing I love most about The Reading Bug is that it's more than just about books and gifts. The company runs workshops for writers, hosts classes for new moms, and organizes yoga for babies and parents. It has truly created a centralized community hub that's less like a store and more like a gathering place.

Consumers love small businesses that offer unique experiences and add value to the community around them. In today's often impersonal world, these businesses add value to their neighborhoods and have the opportunity to create lasting relationships with customers. Armed with these four tips, you have the chance to showcase your strengths this Small Business Saturday, and that’s a pretty big deal you shouldn't miss.

RELATED: Expert Tips to Help Small Businesses Maximize Holiday Retail Sales

About the Author

Post by: Marie Rosecrans

As Senior Vice President of SMB Marketing at Salesforce, Marie Rosecrans focuses on empowering small and medium businesses with the tools and resources they need to grow. Before joining Salesforce in 2008, she held positions in customer support, professional services, product marketing, and program management at Oracle, PeopleSoft, Evolve, and Primavera. Marie lives in the San Francisco Bay area and enjoys hiking and traveling with her husband, teen, and tween.

Company: Salesforce
Website: www.salesforce.com
Connect with me on LinkedIn.

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