Quiet December? Here’s How to End the Year Strong

Bloody hell. It’s December! And we know what that means; everything’s slowing down, everyone’s mentally checking out, everyone’s gearing up for the Christmas break. You’ve had a long year, you’re knackered, and now we’ve hit December, you can finally throttle back a bit. Right?

If you answered yes, you probably have a similar mentality to most small business owners whose year tends to look a bit like this:

January: Everyone’s still thinking about Christmas.
February: There’s a half-term break.
March: It’s nearly Easter.
April: It’s Easter.
May: Maybe do some work.
June: Things are going quite well.
July: It’s the summer holidays.
August: It’s still the summer holidays, but it’ll pick up in September.
September: It picks up.
October: It’s half-term again.
November: Everyone’s thinking about Christmas.
December: It’s Christmas.

Switching your mindset

Of course, I get why we all lose a bit of steam towards the end of the year, but you know what? The fourth quarter is super valuable, and opportunity is rife. If you chill out in December, you’re missing out big time.

Because what if I told you that you could end the year stronger than ever and kick off 2025 in the best business shape of your life? Because you can.

Now, I’m not saying I’m some kind of Guru of the Year-Round Business Growth Mindset, but I see the year completely differently to most business owners I talk to.

For me, it looks more like this:

January: Everyone’s back to work; bring it on, let’s go.
February: How do we get those slow starters from January to kick off?
March: The weather’s improving, and the days are getting longer; let’s harness that energy.
April: It’s Easter and everyone’s relaxed; we can leverage that.
May, June, July, August, September, October: Keep pushing.

November, December: Go hard.

Right around when you start debating which jumper you’ll wear to the Christmas party, that’s when you double down. Seriously, go all in.

It might be the last thing on your mind, but let me explain why the festive period can be immense for business growth – and why you should use the Christmas run-up to plan your campaigns.

Less ads, more opportunity

You see, the week between Christmas and New Year is absolutely golden for advertising. Everyone’s at home, bored, and business owners have stopped advertising because they’ve spent all their budgets on Christmas campaigns.

Big players like M&S, Tesco, and Sainsbury’s are done with their Christmas ads, their marketing staff are on holiday, and their next campaigns won’t start until January. That’s where you – the small business owner – sneak in.

Think about it; companies like M&S pour huge budgets into their Christmas adverts, but their January sale adverts look like they were filmed on a phone.

But those sale ads often have a higher return on investment. During this period, you’re competing against campaigns with much lower budgets, and small businesses can seize that moment to get cut-through.

Same with service-based businesses. You’d think no one would attend a webinar between Christmas and New Year, but attendance rates are actually high during that time.

People are at home, reflecting, and ready to make changes. Customers are thinking about switching providers, changing solicitors, moving house, planning big purchases – and it’s an awesome time to capitalise on that.

For me with Codebreak, I’m always thinking about how we can stand out to business owners during this quieter period. I often think about how much post people receive just before Christmas – cards, parcels, and deliveries are overwhelming.

But from the 27th to the 30th of December, the post slows down. If you send something then, it’s more likely to stand out.

The power of post

Imagine sending a thoughtful parcel or card during this time. People are at home, so they’re personally receiving the post rather than it being left in a pile. Even if it’s a simple postcard, people see it because there’s so little competition.

Post is actually super powerful because it’s always seen, even if it’s not exciting. Most of the time, people only get bills or purchases they’re expecting. A lot of businesses neglect traditional post as a marketing tool, but if you send out something genuinely thoughtful, it creates a lasting impression.

I’ll admit, I’m still excited about getting post, even though it’s often disappointing. And business owners – especially older ones – might feel the same. If they receive something thoughtful on the 28th of December, it can leave a huge impact.

I recently got a card from a client. At first, I was confused and a little bit freaked out; I was worried it was a complaint or that they were about to ditch us. But when I opened it, it was a lovely thank-you note. It was such a thoughtful gesture, and I was genuinely touched.

Small acts like this can make a big difference, especially when they arrive at a time when people aren’t expecting them.

Starting January strong

As well as unexpected post, there are some other clever tactics you can put in place right now to get prospects over the line – like offering potential customers the rest of the year for free if they sign up now.

That’s a great one, because it gives people the feeling of getting a free trial. In their minds, they’re paying for next year, while you’re basically guaranteeing cash flow from January onwards.

I’ve never seen an accountant do this, but imagine if one said: “Move to us. We’ll sort everything for this year, tidy things up, and get you transferred onto our system before Christmas so we can hit the ground running in January. You won’t need to pay again until February.”

That would be a game-changer. And the best part? They’re probably not going to take full advantage of the offer during December, so you’re buying yourself some time.

Another great idea is subscription products – selling next year’s services as gifts. Think about things like Harry’s razors, magazines or gin clubs. Even if you’re not a subscription business, you can create that relationship with your customers by framing it as “subscribe to us.”

Stop thinking of your business as purely transactional. Get people in now. For instance, if you’re running a gin club, offer a free bonus bottle for Christmas if they sign up now. It’s a clever way to hook people in.

Flip the script

Don’t get me wrong – I know it’s easy to feel pretty defeatist at this time of year when things seem quiet. But business is always hard – it just doesn’t feel that way when things are going well.

A member of my mastermind group recently shared that his business win for the quarter was simply not burning it all to the ground. I told him: “If you don’t feel like burning it all down at least once a week, you’re not pushing hard enough.”

Business owners always face challenges, whether it’s recruitment, cash flow or something else. You just have to roll with the punches.

If you’re struggling with a lull in November or December, find an excuse to reconnect with your customers. Call them or hand-deliver Christmas cards to start a conversation. There’s often money left on the table simply because people don’t ask their customers if there’s anything else they need.

And if you have unique services or products that aren’t widely known, use them as an upsell. For example, if someone is already spending with you, why not tell them: “By the way, you’ve unlocked our mystery service”? It’s a fun and effective way to add value.

Learn to love selling

I always get frustrated when people say: “I don’t like selling.” If you’re in business, you have to learn to love selling or at least get someone else to do it for you. Our approach to sales is to be honest – give people every reason why they shouldn’t buy at the same time as every reason why they should.

So, back to tactics. If you’re not offering the rest of the year for free, consider locking in 2024 prices now. Even if your customers don’t start until January, this tactic works for every service business out there.

For product businesses, this time of year is crucial. You’re in the highest advertising spend period, but it’s also when people’s wallets are open.

Offer incentives like free delivery over a certain spend, free gifts for higher purchases, or even bundled deals. Add upsells like gift wrapping or handwritten cards to extract as much value as possible from each transaction.

And remember, while everyone else is busy or stressed, take the time to capitalise on what they’re missing. Because that way, you’ll have an amazing December and a strong January.

By the time everyone else gets going in February, you’re already flying.

Don’t miss the next episode of Stay Hungry – we’ll dive into straight-talking insights on business marketing, growth mindset, and the realities of running a business. And if you want to take the hassle out of your marketing, we’ve got you covered with our done-for-you service.