Don’t get snowed under! 5 ways to prep your business for the 2023 holiday season
With the holidays just around the corner, it's time to get your company ready for the busy months ahead. We'll show you some top tips to get you started.
Sponsored by Tyro. Make payments straightforward with the Tyro Pro – a new EFTPOS machine designed to be as easy to use as a smartphone.
If you work in the retail or hospitality industries, the busiest time of the year is just around the corner.
The holidays are only a couple of months away, so it's important to use this period to get your business prepared.
We've put together some tips to help you get ready.
1. Upgrade your payments system
Your payments system is one of the most critical tools in your arsenal for business success.
Over the holiday period, it needs to be up to the task of handling hundreds – potentially thousands – of transactions per day.
After all, no-one wants their payments system conking out on Christmas Eve!
Let's look at the new Tyro Pro as an example.
The Tyro Pro is an EFTPOS machine with a sleek, modern design that allows you to process payments at high speed.
It accepts a range of different payment options, making it much easier for customers to shop with you.
It can also potentially help reduce fees from payments thanks to Dynamic Surcharging1 and Tyro Tap & Save2.
So if your current payments system is starting to show some signs of age or simply isn't fit for your current purposes, it may be worth upgrading to a new system now to beat the holiday rush.
2. Look for portable solutions to help during the holidays
Queues are near-inevitable during the holidays, but there are steps you can take to help manage them better.
Rethinking the layout of your store or restaurant to avoid crowding around the door or till can be an important part of this process.
There should be a natural flow from one area to another to discourage chokepoints.
Having the right payment solution in place can also assist with this process.
If you're able to take payments portably, you can help prevent excess queues and also create a faster checkout process for customers. In turn, this can lead to better customer satisfaction.
To point to one example, Tyro Pro can be used on your countertop or as a portable payments system.
It offers all-day battery, so you should be able to get through the entirety of a shift without needing to recharge.
3. Get smart with staff scheduling
Making sure you've got enough staff on board during the holidays isn't just about providing a great customer experience.
It's also about ensuring that you don't miss out on patronage or sales, too.
After all, a key element of running a successful company is reducing the number of barriers to purchase.
If a customer walks into your store and sees that they're unlikely to get served anytime soon, well, they may just turn and head out again.
Checking your previous year's transactions from the holiday period can help you determine how many staff you need to have on.
It may also be helpful to start the hiring process ASAP – if you haven't already – to ensure that you give staff time to build up their skill set before the busy season truly begins.
4. Upgrade your internet connection
Having high-speed internet is essential for any modern business.
It allows you to easily maintain contact with suppliers and customers as needed, while also keeping you in touch with the latest developments in your industry.
Your internet connection also affects your ability to take payments.
Most modern payments systems require an online connection in order to be able to accept payments.
However, it can be a good idea to get one that has a backup from a mobile network to be on the safe side.
For example, Tyro Pro has its own mobile network backup, while also being compatible with WiFi and ethernet connections.
5. Optimise your inventory
Good inventory management is critical year-round, but arguably never more so than during the holiday season.
Running short on crucial stock or over-ordering needlessly can both be serious issues.
With the time you still have at hand, it may be worth scheduling a stocktake.
This way you'll be able to look at your current inventory levels and determine what needs to be put in place.
Having the right payments system is also crucial for this process, too. You need to make sure they're properly integrated with your POS in order to avoid issues such as double-charging or missing stock.
An EFTPOS machine like Tyro Pro seamlessly integrates with various POS systems, helping to avoid issues and improve operations throughout the busy period and afterwards.
Discover Tyro's range of mobile payment solutions today
Sponsored by Tyro. Make payments straightforward with the Tyro Pro – a new EFTPOS machine designed to be as easy to use as a smartphone.