Gearing Up for Spring School Holidays: Your Business Readiness Checklist
The September school holidays start in just 11 days (Saturday 27th September), and if you are running a business in regional NSW, you know what that means. More families hitting the road, more visitors exploring your area, and more opportunities to showcase what your business has to offer.
Whether you operate a tourism business, a café, retail store, or professional service, the spring holiday period presents a golden opportunity to connect with new customers and boost your revenue. But here is the thing - success during busy periods does not happen by accident. It requires preparation, planning, and systems that can handle the increased demand without compromising on quality.
Why Spring Holidays Matter for All Businesses
You might think school holiday preparation only applies to accommodation providers or tourist attractions, but that could not be further from the truth. When families travel, they need everything from fuel and groceries to emergency services and entertainment. Local businesses across all sectors see increased foot traffic during school holiday periods.
The September holidays are particularly valuable because they represent a two-week period (27th September to 13th October) that marks the start of the warmer weather tourism season. Families who visit during this period often return for longer summer holidays if they have had a positive experience. This makes it a crucial time to make lasting impressions.
The Foundation: Getting Your Systems Ready
Before you can capitalise on increased visitor numbers, your internal systems need to be holiday-ready. This means taking a hard look at your current processes and identifying potential bottlenecks.
Website and Online Presence
Your website becomes your hardest-working employee during holiday periods. Visitors will be researching your business at all hours, checking opening times, services, and availability. Make sure your website loads quickly, displays correctly on mobile devices, and contains all the information a potential customer needs.
Update your Google Business Profile with current opening hours, especially if you are extending hours for the holiday period. Add recent photos that showcase your business at its best. Respond to recent reviews to show you are actively engaged with customer feedback.
Booking and Enquiry Systems
If you take bookings or reservations, test your system thoroughly. Can it handle multiple simultaneous bookings? Are confirmation emails working correctly? Do you have a clear process for managing wait lists if you become fully booked?
For businesses that do not traditionally take bookings, consider whether you should during busy periods. Even a simple appointment system for services can help manage customer flow and reduce waiting times.
Staff Preparation and Training
Your team is your greatest asset during busy periods, but they need to be prepared for the increased pace and different types of customers they will encounter during holidays.
Training Focus Areas
Holiday visitors often have different needs and expectations than your regular customers. They might be unfamiliar with your local area, need directions to other businesses, or have questions about nearby attractions. Train your staff to be local ambassadors as well as representatives of your business.
Review your customer service processes. What happens when you run out of a popular item? How do you handle complaints or special requests? Make sure every team member knows the protocol.
Scheduling and Backup Plans
Plan your roster well in advance, accounting for the fact that some of your regular staff might also be taking holidays. Consider bringing in casual staff or extending hours. Have backup plans for key positions - what happens if your main cook calls in sick on the busiest day of the holidays?
Inventory and Supply Chain Management
Nothing kills holiday momentum like running out of your most popular products or services. Review your sales data from previous holiday periods to forecast demand accurately.
Stock Management
Order popular items well in advance, accounting for potential supply chain delays. Consider the shelf life of perishable goods and plan accordingly. For service-based businesses, ensure you have adequate supplies of any materials or resources you use regularly.
Supplier Relationships
Touch base with your key suppliers before the holiday period. Confirm delivery schedules and have backup suppliers identified for critical items. If you are planning any special holiday promotions, make sure your suppliers can support the increased demand.
Marketing and Promotion Strategy
The September holidays offer a perfect opportunity to showcase your business to new audiences, but your marketing needs to be strategic and timely.
Social Media Planning
Create a content calendar that highlights your business during the holiday period. Share behind-the-scenes content, showcase your team, and highlight what makes your business special. Use local hashtags and engage with visitors who tag your location.
Consider running targeted social media advertising to families planning trips to your area. Focus on the benefits you offer to travelling families - convenient location, family-friendly atmosphere, local knowledge.
Partnerships and Cross-Promotion
The September holidays are an excellent time to strengthen relationships with other local businesses. Partner with complementary businesses to offer package deals or cross-referrals. A café might partner with a local attraction, or a retail store might team up with accommodation providers.
These partnerships benefit everyone and create a better overall experience for visitors, increasing the likelihood they will return or recommend your area to others.
Managing the Holiday Rush
Once the holidays begin, your focus shifts from preparation to execution. This is where your planning pays off, but you also need to be ready to adapt on the fly.
Customer Flow Management
Busy periods can lead to crowded spaces and longer wait times. Think about how you can manage customer flow to maintain a positive experience. This might mean implementing a queuing system, offering take-away options, or creating designated areas for different activities.
Real-Time Communication
Keep customers informed about wait times, delays, or changes to your service. Use social media to provide real-time updates about busy periods or special offers. This helps manage expectations and can actually drive business during quieter periods.
Measuring Success and Building for the Future
The September holidays should not just be about surviving the rush - they are an opportunity to build long-term relationships and gather valuable insights for your business.
Customer Data Collection
Find ways to capture customer information during the holiday period. This might be through email sign-ups, loyalty programs, or feedback surveys. Build a database of holiday visitors you can reconnect with for future promotions.
Performance Tracking
Monitor key metrics throughout the holiday period. This might include sales figures, customer numbers, website traffic, or social media engagement. Compare these metrics to previous periods to understand what is working and what could be improved.
The Competitive Advantage of Preparation
Businesses that prepare thoroughly for holiday periods consistently outperform those that simply hope for the best. Your preparation sends a message to customers that you are professional, reliable, and committed to providing excellent service.
When visitors have a positive experience with your business during the September holidays, they become ambassadors for your brand. They tell friends and family, leave positive reviews, and often become repeat customers for years to come.
The September school holidays are your chance to showcase what makes your business special to a broader audience. With proper preparation, robust systems, and a customer-focused approach, you can turn this busy period into a launching pad for sustained growth throughout the warmer months ahead.
Start your preparation now - you have 11 days to get ready, and make this September holiday period one that sets your business up for success all the way through to summer.
