With the Christmas season upon us, many businesses are gearing up for a busy period ahead of their holidays later in the year. There is a lot of money to be made during these festive times, especially for those who take a proactive approach to the services they offer their customers. Advertise Locally Nothing beats getting back to the grassroots of your community and spreading the word about the types of products and services you can offer consumers. During Christmas, people are often looking for unique, interesting gifts to buy for their family members. Often these are found in smaller business avenues, rather than large chain stores. Getting festive advertisements out on a number of mediums - print, radio, social media - in the lead up to Christmas could help you to increase the rate of people you see come through your doors, which can translate into a higher number of completed transactions. Festive Offers Coupled with an aggressive marketing campaign, offering your buyers reduced prices and incentives can help you to achieve a great turnaround. After all, when it comes to purchasing presents for their loved ones, many people are looking for the best deals possible. For example, a popular technique during the holiday season is to offer your customers a certain period of time without interest repayments if they pay with credit. Another is running a 'Buy Two and Get a Third Free' deal, which can often encourage people to purchase more than they intended. Streamlined System Investing in great small business software will also help you to maximise your returns during this period. For example, being able to conduct transactions, rectify issues fast and provide an easy, stress-free experience will help you build a reputation as a reliable business - and hopefully secure you return customers next year!