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Sam Taylor, a business expert at LLC.org, says small businesses underestimate how early holiday demand starts and how strongly people respond to anything nostalgic. He shares the five most common holiday mistakes small businesses make.
Launching holiday campaigns too late. Most small businesses wait until December, while national chains start building anticipation weeks earlier.
Using generic holiday visuals. Big brands invest in memorable, cohesive holiday themes. Many small shops rely on basic templates that don’t stand out.
Ignoring social tie-ins. Seasonal drops gain traction because they’re designed for online sharing. Small businesses often skip social integration or fail to create content worth posting.
Offering nothing limited or exclusive. Consumers now expect limited runs, special editions or seasonal bundles. Without exclusivity, small businesses lose urgency-driven sales.
Overlooking families as key holiday buyers. Many small businesses miss the high-spending segment of children and parents entirely.
“Big brands win the holidays because they treat the season as strategy, not decoration,” Taylor says. “Small businesses don’t need blockbuster characters, just earlier timing, tighter themes and something customers can’t get in January. The demand is there. It’s the preparation that’s missing.”
