How to Embrace More Than Just Christmas in Your Business

November 27, 2023

The holiday season is a time of joy, celebration, and increased consumer spending.  For small businesses, this time offers a tremendous opportunity to maximize sales and connect with customers on a deeper level. But if you think of the holiday season as just Thanksgiving and Christmas, you could be missing out.

 

Experts estimate that most small retail businesses earn about 20% of their annual sales in December and even more if you factor in November as well. While Christmas has been the front runner in most people’s minds for decades, there’s now a lot more mainstream celebrating occurring in the last quarter of the year, and your business should be a part of it.

 

Whether your customer celebrates Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Diwali, or other religious or cultural holidays, tailoring your approach can make a significant impact on your bottom line. Below are some proven tactics that will ensure you leverage the holidays to increase sales for small businesses while in parallel, having a positive impact on the local community.

 

Embrace Inclusivity and Diversity

Recognizing and celebrating the diversity is crucial. Acknowledge various holidays through inclusive messaging in your marketing materials, social media posts, and storefront decorations. Consider featuring a diverse range of holiday greetings and symbols to resonate with customers from different cultural backgrounds. Inclusivity not only broadens your customer reach but also fosters a sense of belonging among diverse communities.

 

Some business owners may feel inauthentic if they embrace something they don’t celebrate. However, this is about providing a fulfilling customer experience. And if your customers are celebrating other holidays, you should be too.

 

Curate Special Holiday Offers and Promotions

Entice shoppers with exclusive holiday deals, discounts, and bundled offers. Create promotions specific to each holiday, offering value-driven packages or themed products that align with the spirit of the occasion. Consider limited-time offers or holiday-themed gift sets to attract customers seeking unique gifts for their loved ones.

 

Personalize Customer Experiences

Go the extra mile to personalize interactions with your customers. Use their purchase history or preferences to recommend suitable holiday gifts or products. Consider sending personalized holiday greetings or thank-you notes, adding a touch of warmth and appreciation that resonates with the festive season. If your community celebrates a custom that nearby towns don’t, embrace it and teach others about it.

 

Host Festive Events and Workshops

Organize holiday-themed events or workshops that align with the spirit of the season. These can include DIY gift-wrapping sessions, cooking classes featuring traditional holiday recipes, or storytelling sessions highlighting diverse cultural celebrations. Such events not only attract customers but also foster community engagement and goodwill.

 

Optimize Online Presence and E-commerce

With the rise in online shopping, ensure your website is optimized for the holiday rush. Create a seamless and secure online shopping experience, highlighting holiday-specific products or gift guides. Leverage social media platforms to showcase your holiday offerings and engage with customers through interactive content like polls, quizzes, or behind-the-scenes glimpses of your holiday preparations.

 

Encourage Gift Cards and Gift Certificates

Gift cards and certificates are popular choices during the holidays. Promote them as ideal presents for friends and family, allowing recipients to choose their preferred products or services. Ensure these options are prominently displayed and easily accessible both online and in-store.

 

Partner with Local Charities or Causes

Spread the holiday cheer by partnering with local charities or initiatives. Consider donating a portion of your sales to a charitable cause or organizing a fundraising event. Engaging in philanthropic endeavors not only reflects positively on your business but also resonates with customers seeking socially responsible brands. Plus, volunteering and charitable giving works in every season.

 

Extend Gratitude and Appreciation

Show appreciation to your loyal customers by offering loyalty rewards or exclusive perks during the holiday season. A simple thank-you note or token of appreciation can strengthen customer loyalty and encourage repeat business.

 

Additional Holiday Diversity Tips

If you want to ensure your business appeals to more than just Christmas shoppers, consider the following ideas:

  • Research the different types of holidays that fall during the end of the year and showcase other’s customs.
  • Infuse your business space with decorations that represent a variety of cultural celebrations, ensuring that your customers feel a sense of inclusivity.
  • Be mindful to include elements from various cultural festivities, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere for everyone.
  • Introduce products or services that cater to different cultural celebrations. For instance, offer special promotions or themed items during Diwali, Hanukkah, Lunar New Year, and other significant occasions.
  • Craft marketing messages that embrace diversity and use inclusive language, acknowledging various cultural and religious celebrations.
  • Extend personalized holiday greetings to your customers, recognizing and respecting the diversity of celebrations during the season.
  • Consider offering special discounts or promotions tied to specific cultural or religious holidays to show your appreciation for the varied traditions your customers may observe.
  • Host or participate in cultural events within your community to demonstrate your commitment to inclusivity.
  • Engage with local cultural organizations and collaborate on initiatives that celebrate diversity, creating a positive and inclusive image for your business.

 

Small Business Season presents an amazing opportunity for small businesses to connect with customers, boost sales, and foster a sense of community. By reaching out and celebrating additional holiday beliefs and celebrations, offering tailored promotions, and personalizing customer experiences, you can make the most of this festive period, while respecting the diverse holiday traditions of your customers. Remember, the holidays are about spreading joy, goodwill, and building lasting connections with your customers and the local community. Realizing that your customers are celebrating more than just Christmas is a good start.

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This article published by the Leavenworth-Lansing Area Chamber of Commerce with permission from Frank Kenney Chamber Pros Community.

The 48-Hour Rule: Turning Business Ideas into Reality

January 26, 2026
Small business owners are usually not short on ideas. You have them in the shower, in the car, halfway through a client call, and even in the middle of the night. Ideas for a new service. A better way to onboard customers. A partnership you should pursue. A social post series that would actually sound like you. No, the problem is not creativity. The problem is action. Most good ideas don’t die because they were bad. They die because they never get translated into a next step while they’re still exciting. That’s why you need the 48-Hour Rule. The rule is simple: If an idea doesn’t have a next action plotted and scheduled within 48 hours, it’s not a plan. It’s entertainment. This is not a judgment on your executing abilities. It’s your business. The urgent pulls harder than the important. And once an idea slips behind payroll, customer emails, and the Tuesday fire drill, it rarely climbs back out. So, let’s talk about how to make the 48-Hour Rule work in real life with time limits. Why 48 Hours Works (And “Someday” Doesn’t) A new idea creates a burst of clarity. You can see the path. You can picture the result. You feel a little lighter because you’ve imagined a better version of your business. But clarity fades fast. In 48 hours, two things happen: Reality returns. Your current workload reasserts itself or you start doubting your abilities, your team’s abilities, your customer’s interests, or any other number of things that begin to cause… The idea starts to feel bigger than it is. You forget the simple version and only remember the “perfect” version. This becomes next to impossible to put into action. The 48-Hour Rule protects your idea from both. It forces you to do one thing before the moment passes: choose the next action . Not the whole plan. Not the branding. Not the full rollout. Just the next action. The Difference Between an Idea and a Next Action An idea is fun, creative, exciting, while a next action is specific, physical, and schedulable. It’s something you can do without needing another meeting with yourself. Shy away from your action being “research.” It’s easy to get lost in it with little to show. Here are examples: Idea: “We should improve customer follow-up.” Next action: “Draft a two-email follow-up template and save it in the CRM.” Idea: “We should partner with another business.” Next action: “Write one partnership pitch email and send it to two businesses by Friday.” Idea: “We should raise prices.” Next action: “List top 10 services, current prices, and margins in a spreadsheet by Thursday at 10 a.m.” If you can’t schedule it, it’s not a next action. How to Implement the 48-Hour Rule Without Blowing up Your Week If you’re excited about your new idea, get something scheduled, even during a busy week. Try this: Step 1: Capture the idea in one sentence. Not five paragraphs. One sentence. Put it in a running note on your phone or a single “Idea Parking Lot” document. Step 2: Write the smallest next action. Ask: “What’s the first move that would make this 5% more real?” Step 3: Schedule it inside the next 48 hours. Not “this week.” Not “soon.” Put a 15–30-minute block on your calendar. Treat it like a client meeting. Because it is. Your future revenue is sitting in the lobby. Step 4: Give it a finish line. The goal of that block is not perfection. It’s progress you can point to. A draft. A message sent. A decision made. A file created. The “Two-Track” Trick for Busy Seasons If you’re in a truly slammed stretch, use this adjustment: you only have to schedule one of two things within 48 hours : The next action or A decision to deliberately defer it (with a date) That second option matters. Because “not now” can be a smart business decision. If you can’t do the action, schedule a 10-minute decision block: “Do we pursue this in Q1 or not?” That keeps you moving. What This Looks Like Over Time The magic of the 48-Hour Rule isn’t that every idea becomes a big initiative. Instead, your business becomes a place where ideas get handled, not hoarded. You’ll start to notice: Fewer loose ends rattling around in your brain Faster follow-through (which customers feel immediately) More momentum inside your team Better instincts about what’s worth doing, because you’re testing ideas in small bites Action compounds in the way that matters reducing chaos and increasing innovation. A Simple Challenge for This Week Pick one idea you’ve been sitting on. Just one. Write the next action. Schedule 20 minutes for it in the next 48 hours. Then do it. That’s how businesses grow—small, consistent moments of follow-through. Ask the Chamber If you’re thinking, “I have ideas, but I need the right people, resources, or a push,” you’re not alone. That’s exactly what a chamber of commerce is built for: turning good intentions into traction. Use your chamber for the kind of next actions that matter: Ask them to make an introduction that leads to a partnership or something specific you need Attend one event and meet your next vendor or client Join one committee and get closer to decision-makers Ask one question and get practical insight from business owners who’ve been there Your idea may be game changing, but you won’t know until you execute. You may not have time to get it completely worked out and implemented, but you do have time to start with a 20-minute next step. Try the 48-Hour Rule this week. Then let your chamber help you turn that first step into a path. Read More: Embracing Imperfection to Strengthen Your Business How Small Businesses Can Lead Innovation How to Make Time for Innovation Revenue Without Regret: Designing Offers You're Proud to Sell Scaling Your Impact: From Dore to Delegator to Developer  -------------- Christina Metcalf is a writer and women’s speaker who believes in the power of story. She works with small businesses, chambers of commerce, and business professionals who want to make an impression and grow a loyal customer/member base. She is the author of The Glinda Principle , rediscovering the magic within. _______________________________________ Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor LinkedIn: @christinametcalf5

Is Your Business Owner-Dependent?

January 20, 2026
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How to Verify the Accuracy of an Applicant's Resume

January 13, 2026
75% of hiring managers have encountered lies on resumes, posing a challenge to the trustworthiness of applicant qualifications. Pruning outdated or irrelevant job experiences from resumes can help applicants highlight their most recent and pertinent skills. Checking for employment gaps can uncover important character traits or red flags, such as incarceration, which can be further explored through background checks. Up to 85% of job seekers admit to lying on resumes about aspects like job duties and skills, making independent verification crucial. Handling discovered resume discrepancies with professionalism and aligning hiring decisions with organizational values are key. Investing in thorough verification processes, despite initial costs, is essential for reducing long-term expenses related to unproductive wages, training, and turnover. 554 words ~ 2.5 min. read In today's job market, it's quite common for applicants to exaggerate on their resumes. A surprising find by CareerBuilder shows that 75% of hiring managers have spotted lies on resumes. This highlights a big problem in hiring - how can employers trust what's on a resume? With the honesty of candidate qualifications on the line, it's important for hiring managers to find reliable ways to check the accuracy of resumes to make good hiring decisions. Read on to discover three strategies to help you fast-track the fact-checking process. Prune Old Jobs Pruning old jobs simply means removing any outdated or irrelevant information. For example, if an applicant lists a job that they held 10 years ago and haven't worked in that field since, there's a good chance their skills are no longer up-to-date. The hiring platform Indeed reminds job hopefuls to prioritize their most recent and relevant experience , so including historical work experience may also signal a lack of confidence in applying for an intended position. Check for Gaps Another way to verify the accuracy of an applicant's resume is to check for gaps. This means looking for any periods of time where there is no employment listed. These gaps could be due to a variety of reasons, such as taking time off to raise a family or going back to school. However, they could also be due to something less savory, such as incarceration. Including a background check will reveal gaps due to jail time but also other important things you may want to know like criminal arrest records or driving history. Resume gaps aren’t always a bad thing, of course. They may reveal an applicant’s character or important values, with gaps devoted to honing their leadership skills through volunteering for schools or charitable organizations. What you do with your understanding of these blank spaces is what’s important — use them to weed out applicants or to ascertain if a candidate is a value match during the interview process. Fact-Check Claims According to Good Hire up to 85% of job seekers have admitted to lying on their resume. What are they lying about? Most often, dishonest claims relate to job duties, work experience, and job skills. While it may be easy to verify if an applicant has indeed graduated from Harvard or won Teacher of the Year, it can take much more time and resources to fact check work history and job duties. For that reason, many employers rely on independent recruiters and agencies to verify resume details. What should you do if you discover something that doesn’t check out? When hiring managers spot a lie on a resume, it's important to handle it with care and professionalism. First, double-check the facts to avoid any misunderstandings. If the lie is real, talk to the applicant about it and listen to their side of the story. Then, based on how serious the lie is, decide if you still want to consider the candidate. In the end, your decision should align with your organization’s values. If you do hire someone and later discover the lie, experts recommend confronting the employee to learn more. If you want to terminate the employee, get legal counsel first. Takeaway Devoting time and resources to outside services will increase your hiring costs upfront. However, when you factor in the price tag for unproductive wages, in addition to training, firing, and rehiring costs, investing in a thorough verification process becomes a vital hiring and retention strategy. Read More: 10 Ways to Get the Most from your Chamber Membership Hiring in a Tight Market: Your Local Playbook for Finding and Keeping Great People The New Employee Benefit Everyone is Talking About The Power of 'Entry Interviews' and 'Stay Interviews' Strategies for Improving Employee Retention in Small Businesses --- The Leavenworth-Lansing Area Chamber of Commerce is a private non-profit organization that aims to support the growth and development of local businesses and our regional economy. We strive to create content that not only educates but also fosters a sense of connection and collaboration among our readers. Join us as we explore topics such as economic development, networking opportunities, upcoming events, and success stories from our vibrant community. Our resources provide insights, advice, and news that are relevant to business owners, entrepreneurs, and community members alike. The Chamber has been granted license to publish this content provided by Chamber Today, a service of ChamberThink Strategies LLC.