You can be on Entrepreneur’s cover!

A Guide For Small Sellers To Ace the Festive Season And Boost Business Lack of sufficient knowledge and access to a wider target group can pose challenges, hampering the growth and progress of small businesses

By Saahil Goel

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

Pixabay
Representational

The country's grand festive season is underway. From a business standpoint, the festive season holds much importance and is considered to be the busiest time of the year. This season presents ample opportunities for businesses, particularly small sellers to boost their sales, acquire new customers and make the most out of it.

However, lack of sufficient knowledge and access to a wider target group can pose challenges, hampering the growth and progress of small businesses. The festive season brings with it a major surge in consumer demand for various goods and small sellers need a certain level of guidance and hand-holding to maximize their sales and efficiently manage the festive demand. On that note, here are some simple yet effective tips for small sellers to ace the festive season and scale their business.

Take your business online to increase sales

This festive season is bound to witness a large chunk of the population taking to online shopping due to the ongoing pandemic. There has been a significant dip in offline sales and people are beginning to prefer to shop online and have goods delivered to their doorstep which makes for a more convenient, safer experience. So, for small sellers, it is best to take your business online to improve sales by reaching a wider audience.

Streamline logistics by partnering with a third-party provider

For any business, logistics plays a pivotal role in ensuring that goods are delivered on time and for e-commerce businesses, efficient logistics is vital to maintaining business continuity. When we say efficient logistics, warehousing, inventory management, packaging and shipping falls under it. Automating the warehousing and inventory management can prove to be time, cost and labor-efficient in the long run. For this, inventory management software comes in handy. However, small sellers may not possess the technical know-how when it comes to using software and automating warehouses, making it imperative to partner with a third-party aggregator.

Partnering with a third-party provider comes with a plethora of benefits. For instance, since a shipping partner is an aggregator for small sellers, they have a wider network of experienced courier partners and dedicated teams to handle various functions efficiently for seamless operations. The fee for partnering with a third-party aggregator is also nominal, thereby easing the financial burden on small sellers.

Furthermore, small sellers often overlook the importance of availing shipping insurance to safeguard goods, leading to losses in case of damage or loss of goods during shipping. Third-party providers offer shipping insurance and have multiple integrated payment gateways, giving an edge to sellers by easing their customer experience. Overall, they act as a one-stop solution for small sellers by bringing a wide array of services under a single umbrella.

Create an effective marketing strategy to ace the festive season

Last but not the least, marketing is one of the fundamental aspects that can make or break a business. Since the e-commerce sector has been witnessing cut-throat competition in recent years, sellers need to be on top of their game to boost customer acquisition and sales. The festive season is also the time when e-commerce giants such as Amazon and Flipkart begin their festive season sales and discounts, making it more challenging for smaller sellers.

However, a carefully devised, effective marketing strategy can not only help in reaching a wider target audience online but also help establish your brand's presence in the long run. Festive packaging is one of the marketing tools that small sellers can use. Big brands often change their packaging and offer substantial discounts to make their products more appealing to consumers. So, attractive packaging coupled with exciting offers and discounts can go a long way in boosting business.

The final verdict

The festive season, although it offers huge scope for increasing sales and scaling your business, can prove to be taxing, particularly for new sellers in the market. The aforementioned tips can assist sellers by helping them stay prepared to handle the rush and provide a friction-less, delightful experience to customers.

Saahil Goel

CEO and Co-Founder, Shiprocket

Saahil Goel is the CEO and co-founder of ShipRocket (BigFoot Retail Solutions Pvt. Ltd.)

Marketing

A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Make Money With Facebook Ads, According to Experts

Creating the right message is a crucial first step to making money with Facebook ads, but it doesn't end there. This guide will help you create ads that actually convert.

Business Models

Why the Coaching Industry Is Poised for Transformative Growth in the Gig Economy Era — and How to Navigate the Waves of Change

This article highlights five trends shaping the coaching industry and offers insights into how entrepreneurs can adapt and thrive in this evolving landscape.

Starting a Business

The Entrepreneur Who Made 'Avengers,' 'Game of Thrones' and 'Stranger Things' Sound as Awesome as They Look

Orfeas Boteas, the founder and CEO of Krotos, discusses his game-changing AI-powered sound design platform.

Growing a Business

Clinton Sparks Podcast: Daymond John Discusses Handling Rejection, Branding and How to Win Big in Any Business

This podcast is a fun, entertaining and informative show that will teach you how to succeed and achieve your goals with practical advice and actionable steps given through compelling stories and conversations with Clinton and his guests.

Business News

A Surprising Number of U.S. Couples Have Secret Financial Accounts, According to a New Survey — And Most Have Not Talked About a Key Retirement Question

Two in five Gen X and young Boomer couples surveyed do not have a financial plan in place for retiring together.