by: Teena Rose
December can be a trying time for small businesses. The year-end rush to close clients in order to meet target year-end sales goals can leave a person feeling stressed, overworked, and definitely, not in the holiday spirit. Last year around this time, you were probably forecasting sales figures for 2004, and now, getting ready to do it again for 2005. When running your own business, it becomes immediately apparent that monthly, quarterly, and yearly sales resemble the layout for a roller coaster. It’s challenging to devise consistent sales figures when the process of doing business fluctuates continuously.
1) Take a deep breath
Because you didn’t reach your forecast doesn’t mean you did something wrong, so take a deep breath and relax. Failure serves as great fuel, in my opinion. Not meeting your sales will give you the drive needed to ensure totals are met next year.
Jennifer Beasily, a small business owner in Tampa, Florida, stated, “After reviewing 2003 sales, I took an extensive look at what I was doing — and what I wasn’t doing. Hindsight is 20/20, so I used last year’s information to ensure that 2004 sales would be better … and they were. Now, I’m taking the same approach this year to secure a nice return from the sales I close in 2005.”
2) Create a sales report
Take December and January to research your sales to date. Look over those from the last year, or take your research further by comparing each year you’ve been in business. Identify what months and years were least successful and your thought on why. Seasons, such as Christmas and Thanksgiving, for example, can cause lower sales volumes depending on the type of business you operate. Have a full understanding of what months you recently struggled with, and whether this trend is consistent year after year or month after month.
3) Create an in-depth report
Take your sales report one step further by making notations and devising strategies to curtail lower selling months. Think of reasons why your sales were less than expected. Then, determine if changes, such changing your work habits, running a promotional campaign, or stepping up marketing/advertising efforts, can help. Your finished report should reflect all problem areas, along with several solutions you plan to integrate throughout the year to ensure sales from 2005 are substantially better than those from 2004.
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