Take full advantage of the Black Friday shopping onslaught, rather than getting caught off-guard and without the stock and support you need this season! We know that the 2022 holiday shopping season looks a little different. Many people have started shopping early, but there will still be plenty of stragglers who are holding out for Black Friday sales. And everyone knows that procrastinator who won’t even consider starting to shop until December 20! So, how can you as a solo small business owner or side hustler take advantage of Black Friday this season? We at Payable have a few ideas…
Review your inventory and systems
Make sure your offerings are clear and that you actually have the inventory you need in order to open up for Black Friday sales before you decide on your offering. This is also a good time to check your Payable Form to ensure that it’s working smoothly and the checkout process is seamless. (Try it in Test Mode if you’re not sure—just remember to turn off Test mode when you’re done!)
Make it look good
Remember, every retailer will be competing for buyer attention on Black Friday, so make sure your offering looks as good as possible. That means making great mockups for products like tshirts and dazzling with your descriptions! This is also a great time to prep Instagram and Facebook posts and ads so that you’re ready to go and can actually enjoy Thanksgiving before getting into entrepreneur mode the next day.
Let people know your sales plans
At least a week ahead of time, hint that you’ll have some Black Friday deals, or even just let your newsletter subscribers or Instagram followers know exactly what the sales will be. These early nudges will a) make people mark their calendars to check in on your site on Black Friday, and b) give you a sense of how your clientele feels about your offers!
Create special offers for longtime customers
If you’re not ready to take on a ton of extra sales from new clients, Black Friday can feel like a throwaway day. But you can still take advantage of it by creating special offers for your current clientele, like bulk pricing or the ability to gift your good or service to a friend. This allows you to keep it all ‘in-house,’ so you avoid an onslaught of new customers to deal with over the holidays if your side hustle isn’t ready for that kind of commitment, but it still lets you make some extra holiday cash.
Get your social ready to roll
Again, Black Friday can feel a bit like you’re screaming into the void, since there are thousands of other companies shouting about their deals to your clients at the same time. This is your time to get creative: Prep some fun Reels and have plenty of content ready to go out throughout the Black Friday through Cyber Monday period. And don’t neglect your Instagram Bio! Consider switching it up for this weekend to highlight your sales and of course, make sure your link in bio is working.
Stay in it for the long haul
Shopify reports that the sales season is unlikely to peak on Black Friday this year—rather, it might have a slower, longer tail, so your sales could still be rolling in well into December. Keep your promotions going (change them up as needed!) through the weeks following Black Friday—but keep an eye on shipping dates if you have physical product, and know when the last day you can take orders is… and make that clear to your customers!
Bulk invoice with Payable Sheets
You may not have noticed, but Payable has a new offering! Now, you can send targeted invoices or invoice in bulk by using the Payable add-on and Google Sheets to create easy-to-pay professional invoices. Perfect for if you’re selling IRL or planning a holiday function where you have the guest list, but still need the payments. (Learn more about how to use this add-on right here.)
Check into sales that could help you with your business!
Nothing wrong with skimming other websites for great deals on equipment that you need for your business! Black Friday is a great day to save on electronics like computers, phones and cameras, if your business needs an upgrade. Things like gift boxes and wrapping paper will also be on sale, so if you plan to offer gift wrapping, get stocked. And there are even great tech and software deals available during Black Friday sales, so if you need a certain software, this could be the time to invest.
Don’t wait until the last minute
If you’re reading this post on Thanksgiving, do yourself a favor and just skip any kind of Black Friday offering this year. Instead, put your attention towards a ‘last minute gift buying’ push mid-December. Remember, every major retailer puts a huge amount of effort into creating their promos and deciding on their sales strategy for Black Friday weeks and months in advance, so don’t try to compete in a matter of hours. Your sales and promos should be well-thought out, not done in a panic. (Creating sales in a hurry can also lead to sloppy math and lose you more cash than you earn!)