Though the holidays come at the same time every year, it’s not uncommon to hear people say, “It’s Thanksgiving already?” or, “Wow, Christmas really snuck up on me!”
If these are the same type of statements you find yourself saying too, you may be feeling more than a little behind when it comes to getting your chiropractic office ready for the holiday season.
Not to worry though because, by doing just a couple of rather simple things, you can have your office holiday-ready in no time at all. Here are some things you can do right away to help make that happen.
1. Pull out the decorations
Of course, the most obvious thing you can do in preparation for the upcoming holidays is decorate your office. This means setting aside some time for you and your staff to dig your décor out of the closet, dust it off, and place it in the various waiting and appointment rooms for all of your patients to see and enjoy.
Another decorating option to consider is to do things to get your patients involved in helping you create a more festive atmosphere. One option is to have holiday-inspired pictures that the children visiting your office can color, and hanging them on the wall once they’re complete.
You could also put up a tree and give the kids crafts to make their own ornaments (either right in your office or at home). This will give you a uniquely decorated tree that makes a great conversation piece for your patients while are waiting.
You could even ask some of your craftier patients to make you some decorations if you don’t have many or want something new. This enables you to help support their business while they are supporting yours in turn.
2. Get in the spirit of gift-giving
Because the holidays generally involving the giving of gifts, this is the perfect time to think about the products you provide that could be either stuffed in stockings or placed under the tree. Highlighting them in your newsletter, placing them on your website, or offering them on a holiday-themed stand in the corner of your office can really increase your sales.
Don’t forget about your services either as gift certificates for a free adjustment or some other service you offer can make for a great Christmas gift.
This also means that you want to be stocked up on any of the items that tend sell more quickly when promoted as gifts. To get a better idea of what those are, take a look at what sold most last holiday season and go with those.
If you have to order them from vendors, try to get your order in as early as possible as the U.S. Small Business Administration warns that “suppliers are under their own holiday pressure,” which means that if you wait until you need them, they may not be able to fulfill your request.
Your patients don’t have to be the only one giving gifts either as there are several things you can do as a special treat for your patients during the holidays. For instance, you could hand out candy canes for them to hang on their trees at home, or you could give each one a free little sample pack of pain-relieving gel, a gift they’ll appreciate for their muscles that tightened under the stress of the season.
3. Give advanced notice of your time off
With holidays comes time off so you and your staff can spend some quality time with the people you love. This means that you’re not going to be available at the office, so your patients are going to need to know which days you plan to take off so they can schedule their appointments accordingly.
Ideally, you want to post these days where they can be easily seen while at the reception desk, but you can also add them to your newsletter or on a sign on your front door so they aren’t missed. Having your staff remind patients helps too as it gets them thinking about any alternative arrangements they need to make well in advance.
Additionally, be sure to black these days out on your appointment book so a patient isn’t inadvertently scheduled for a time when you’ll be closed. This can help reduce confusion, as well as eliminating the need to call them to reschedule to another date.
Yes, the holidays are approaching, but if you do these simple things, you’ll be ready for them. Even if they seem to arrive earlier and earlier every year.
