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In the business world, Q4 (the final quarter of the year which includes the holiday season) is a crucial time for many companies. For long-established, old-fashioned business, this can be super stressful. But when you’re a young entrepreneur just starting out, Q4 is a golden opportunity.
Obviously, the COVID-19 pandemic has greatly reduced the amount of short-term retail gigs that lots of teenagers depend on during the holiday season. But that doesn’t mean you can’t make money this holiday break! If you move your ambitions online and focus on ecommerce, you’ll be able to make money in 2020 and well beyond. After all, the future is digital!
I was 16 when I first started my company. I learned everything as I went, and I started making sales from my laptop at home in New Jersey. So I can tell you from my own experience: if you want to make some extra cash this holiday season, you can definitely do it. Set up an ecommerce shop (or improve the one you already have), and get ready to boost your bank account. Here’s how to do it:
1. Make A Plan
Without a plan, your goals are just wishful thinking. Before you get started, think about what you want to gain from this experience. I’m guessing you want to make some cash, but do you also want to build a foundation for your future business dreams? Do you want to learn more about your strengths and weaknesses? Decide in advance.
Then, get all of your systems in place and automate as much as you can. Is your website ready for holiday-driven traffic boosts? If you’re selling products that require shipping, do you have all the materials you need in place? What about customer service systems? Get as much ready in advance as you can.
2. Advertise
Customers won’t know you’re there unless you tell them! Create strategically targeted Facebook ads, blog posts, Instagram posts and other content to advertise what you offer. Provide fun, high quality content that focuses on solving your customers’ biggest holiday needs. Make sure the content directs them straight to your site!
Think about who your target customer is, and what they are most worried about this season. Show them how your products can make them the hero of their own holiday by providing them with that perfect gift idea or plan. Start advertising as early as you can.
3. Help Your Customers Feel Valued
Want to know the easiest way to stand out? Make your customers feel like they matter. Maybe this sounds like it should be obvious, but the truth is that many companies don’t actually put their customers first. If my rapid success has taught me anything, it’s that your relationship with your customers makes all the difference.
Personalize each customer’s experience with relevant recommendations, special discounts, quick responses to questions and other thoughtful perks. Trust me, if you do this, they’ll remember your business long after their holiday shopping is finished.
4. Learn From Your Experience
The holidays will be over in a flash, but that doesn’t mean the knowledge you gained from the experience is. Entrepreneurs find success by learning from each endeavor. What went well this holiday season? What do you want to do better next time? Throughout the holiday season, track your KPIs (key performance indicators). If you’re just getting started, a few KPIs to pay attention to are your sales numbers, average order values, your traffic and how often customers abandon their online carts. At the end of the season, take notes and think about what these metrics are telling you about your business. Make improvements inspired by those metrics so you can boost your sales even more throughout the next year — and so your next holiday season will be even better.
The best part? Ecommerce is fun! So what are you waiting for? Get started and set yourself up for your best holiday break yet.
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At 16, Jared Curry read ‘Rich Dad Poor Dad’ by Robert Kiyosaki and it changed his life. Now, Jared is changing the face of eComm marketing. As CEO of Scope Marketing, Jared oversees a team of completely remote digital marketing geniuses. He has been featured in Thrive Global, Medium, International Youth Journal, SiteProNews, FOX, NBC and Yahoo Finance.
