10 commercial tips for a clean start to 2020

After the Christmas decorations have been put away and the presents are in newly designated spots (or put aside for a refund!) do you find you want to do a spring clean? The darker days are still here, there’s rubbish weather most days and no customers, hence a good commercial early doors Spring Clean is such a good idea. Don’t suffer the January Blues and instead celebrate the potential of a fresh and exciting New Year with these 10 top tips.

Christmas Clutter
Ambient/long-life Christmas buys that have not sold, store away for the following year. Christmas short life or gift-packed items, unbox and sell loose or reduce significantly before New Year when people are actively shopping and looking for bargains.

Staff Party
I am a firm believer in celebrating Christmas with the team before Dec 25th, as pulling a Christmas cracker with colleagues in January is dull and disingenuous. Therefore, think New Year Hampers instead and this will allow you to offload short life goodies or even premium items such as half hams and truckles of Cheddar that your team will appreciate.

Staffing
Positively manage holidays, time owed and thank you days and encourage January breaks.

Christmas Decks
Don’t rush – people are on holiday, have time, Christmas £ and the inclination to spend before and just after New Year. Therefore re-merchandise and keep the festive spirit rolling and the tills beeping until after New Year.

Jump into January with joy
January can be very commercial and very profitable so please don’t close the doors or turn off the till! As its now about back room and getting your house in order, rather than relying on customer spend or basket size.

Pricing
When did you last contact all your suppliers and double check how much you were being charged?

Terms & Conditions
Do check suppliers minimum order/free carriage – payment terms and volume buy potential. Plus make sure they have your T&Cs – no price increase accepted unless you confirm in writing plus 6-8 weeks notice!

Packaging & Services
Count and renegotiate if you can and if you have the room in respect to a cheeky volume buy.

Dark Room Day
Take time away from the business to plan out the next 18 months – a commercial pathway to success that can be easily followed with no faff or stress. A couple of big projects, five medium and 10 small.

Holiday
Switch off even if it’s just for a long weekend – you deserve it and it will serve you well commercially if you are less tired and stressed, you will be more focused and up for jumping into January.