Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, the Day After Christmas — These are all iconic shopping days for snagging some of the best deals of the season. While it is true you might be able to scoop up fabulous prices on a cashmere sweater for your mom or a new TV for your uncle, savvy business owners are also taking a look at the various ways to maximize holiday/end of year deals for your business:
1. Buy this year’s model — The holiday season has long been associated with the newest and best when it comes to technology rollouts. Devices such as tablets, laptops and phones traditionally all have new versions that come out on offer just before the holidays to entice shoppers. Use this opportunity to your business advantage — Keep an eye on sales from your favorite cell phone or tech providers and swap out aging technology with 2024 models that will likely go on sale as retailers are trying to push new/2025 models out the door.
2. Go for a “new” used car — If your business uses vehicles in day to day operations or you are even looking for options for employees that have a provided company car, the holidays are a great time to buy “new” cars that are now considered used. 2024 model year cars might have just a very low number of demo miles on them or be a short-term lease return. The savings between buying a 2024 vehicle with a few hundred or thousand miles versus a new 2025/fleet car can sometimes be over $10,000. Spend time examining model options for your needs and identify potential options where the 2024 choices are plentiful.
3. Cash in rewards credits or points — If your corporate credit card offers rewards such as cash back or options to redeem points for gift cards, be sure there are no provisions on when those points expire! Use points to ‘purchase’ gift cards as a holiday thank you for employees or vendors – Similar to people who gather reward points at Panera or Starbucks for freebies, follow that same model and use your corporate points for something you can in turn give for free to a valued team member as a thank you this holiday season.
4. Follow your vendors for flash sales — Almost every company now uses social media as a tool to communicate flash deals or special sales. The same is true in business — While it might not be as glamorous as an Instagram post from Macy’s on a special coupon code, following vendors who supply your software, supplies or office equipment might yield a special holiday offer you would otherwise be unaware of. Spending a few minutes scanning and following the social accounts of all the companies you buy from could easily turn into a bonus end of year savings!
5. Be sure to examine return policies — Sometimes, things just don’t work out — Everything purchased via a holiday sale is subject to a return policy. When making a purchase or jumping on one of these flash sales, be sure to thoroughly examine the return policy if the item doesn’t work for your needs. Some return policies offer strict windows for returns; some only offer exchanges not refunds — Whatever the policy, make sure you understand your options if the item is not a winner for your business.
6. Don’t forget to use holiday sale offers to move your merchandise! — Even though we are now firmly smack in the middle of the holiday season, it’s not too late to ensure you are taking advantage of opportunities for holiday and post-holiday sales. If you are a retail operation, schedule social media posts with time-specific offers and deals for just before and just after Christmas. Hospitality providers, look at adding a short-term “holiday hangover” meal or cocktail to help customers through this busy season.
7. Purchase Gift Cards with add-on deals — Many retailers and vendors have jumped on the idea of an ‘add-on’ deal with gift card purchases during the holiday season. For example, buying $100 worth of gift cards at California Pizza Kitchen nets you an additional free $20 gift card; countless retailers from restaurants to wireless providers and online marketplaces offer bonus cards. If you frequently gift employees cards for a local restaurant as a thank you or birthday gift, consider pre-purchasing for the year to take advantage of as many add-on deals as possible. Be sure to read the fine print though; many add-on gift cards have limited dates or use or specific provisions — be sure you understand what you are getting before you stock up.
8. Take advantage of ‘sample’ or ‘teaser’ offers — Has your business been considering switching up a software provider? How about a new coffee vendor? During the holidays, many businesses offer sample plans or short-term deals — These vendors are trying to bring in new customers knowing that it may be hard to convince a company to switch from an established provider. Think about what areas you have contemplated switching in 2025 and seek out limited-time deals or scaled-down/tester versions of products to get a sense of whether this might be a good option for your business — without a full scale commitment.
