HOW BUSINESSES CAN PREPARE FOR BLACK FRIDAY

MBABANE – Following the distress and restrictions that come with COVID-19, some businesses might worry about whether Black Friday will be worth the effort this year.

Black Friday is popular with shoppers, as many stores offer highly promoted sales. It is dubbed the biggest shopping event of the year and it is set for this coming Friday (November 27). It is a prime chance to increase sales.

It will be different this year on Black Friday due to many factors that include the financial distress suffered by businesses during lockdown. With huge crowds restrictions, businesses have to come up with ways to accommodate shoppers while keeping everyone safe. 

prepare

One David Finkel, CEO of Maui Mastermind, on the best ways small businesses can prepare for Black Friday. Maui Mastermind is said to be an online premier business coaching company helping businesses successfully scale their companies.

One of the shared tips includes skipping the traditional early morning rush.

“Swinging open the doors early in the morning on Black Friday isn’t going to work. People can’t line up to shop. Keep the timing relaxed. In fact, extending the sale period might be a good way to rake in those sales without making it such a timed and high-pressure affair,” shared Finkel. 

There are also calls to fully embrace online strategies. To make it a safe shopping experience, many retailers are said to be focusing on a more blended offering. 

Worth mentioning is that businesses, even here in Eswatini, are also moving away from Black Friday as a one-day event.

 In fact, many have started holiday deals as early as October and plan to extend their offers throughout the run-up to Christmas.

So, as businesses around the world hope to benefit from one of the busiest retailing periods of the year, there are a suggested few tactics and tools that can be can used to make sure a business is taking full advantage of Black Friday 2020.

Federation of Eswatini Business Community (FESBC) Henry ‘Tums’ du Pont also supported the call for businesses to grab every opportunity that comes with Black Friday. 

He noted that most businesses were still not aware that they could still operate for extended hours, but warned that it was important to contact police for safety reasons for those who would consider that option.

“FESBC ensured that businesses were allowed extended operating hours. If you think of grabbing the opportunity, liaise with your nearest station commander and ensure compliance to labour regulations on overtime and related issues,” he advised.

advantage

Themba Dlamini, who is Senior Manager Strategy and Organisational Performance, at SEDCO, advised small and medium-sized enterprises to take advantage of the hype which comes with this day. SEDCO is the Small Enterprises Development Company.

“Don’t wait for the day, but you can start with ‘early bird’ giveaways and offer products relevant to the season. Create awareness of products early to generate interest.

“COVID-19 has also taught us to fully embrace digital platforms, so businesses can get their customers to like their pages on social media platforms that include Facebook to build the anticipation,” he shared.

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