Unfortunately, for most small businesses the window from mid-December to early January is one of the slowest times of the year. People are traveling, saving for and recovering from Christmas expenses, focusing on family time and generally staying away from any extra spending. This can be rough for business owners, even though most industries know to expect it and plan ahead. There are some things you can do to help your business beat the holiday lull this year, and every year. The best part is that they’re simple, cost-effective and time-friendly on your end:

Keep Your Expenses Low

The holiday season is the perfect time to trim your extra business expenses. It’s the end of the year anyway, so you have multiple reasons to review what your business is spending money on, and get rid of any extras. Keeping your expenses low could mean foregoing those daily lunches, cutting out marketing methods that aren’t working for you and reviewing your stock so you can save some extra money on buying those products you already have enough of. When you know you’re going to experience a slow season in your business, you can plan for it and put things in place to ensure you’re saving instead of spending. For some businesses, these slow seasons come up unexpectedly and it’s always a good idea to keep your business expenses low and save up as much as possible in preparation for the lulls.

Run Social Media Contests

Most people are on social media, and everyone loves a good content. When something is worth winning, your customers will share, engage with and like your posts online so others will see your business. The more attention you can bring to your business during the slow times, the better. Run social media contents every week during your slow season and offer gift cards to local places, free services from your business, or donations to charity. This will get your followers invested and keep them interested in your content. Best of all, they’ll be sharing and then all of their followers will see your content as well. This is free and easy way to combat that holiday lull this year.

Make the Holidays Sweet for Your Loyal Customers

Your loyal customers deserve something sweet for keeping your business thriving all year long. The slow season is the perfect time to thank them and bring them back through your door all at once. Consider sending out a text or email blast to your loyal customers letting them know you appreciate them and offering a discount on any services completed in the month of December. You could also consider offering discounts/free services for every referral they bring through your door. Either way, when you incorporate a thanks and make sure there’s something in it for them, your loyal customers can be the answer to keeping your business healthy this holiday season.

Get Involved in the Community

People love giving back to businesses who give back to the community. When you get involved in your community by donating to a local charity, running a food drive out of your business, or offering a family fun night on you, all of the locals will want to give back to your business by utilizing you in any of their future needs. Get your name out there and draw positive attention to your business by getting involved in your community. If you need more ideas for getting your business involved in the community and giving back, check out this post by NewYorkLife.com.

For more insights on marketing strategy that actually works for small business, subscribe to the FreshLime Newsletter here. Connect with Jay Bean, Founder of FreshLime and Small Business Marketing Expert on LinkedIn and Twitter. And last of all, if any of these tips have helped you or if you have anything to add please comment below. We’d love to hear from you!