Want to do even more business with your customers this peak season? Discover how to prepare for peak logistics challenges today.

Peak season is a challenging time for online retailers, especially as there are increasing numbers of peak periods occurring instead of just a few mega-sales and the festive season rush.

eCommerce has had phenomenal growth putting even more pressure on small businesses to meet rising demand. However, with smart planning and preparation ahead of time, you can ensure your customers are happy and your orders are on track during the rush.

How to prepare for peak delivery periods
The earlier you craft your plans for peak season, the better. Advance preparation allows you to think through how different aspects of your plan might impact each other. For example, a strong marketing plan is a must - but so is testing your website’s ability to meet huge spikes in traffic from your campaigns or creating ways for customers to stay engaged with your brand and come back for more.

Use your data to make decisions
It doesn’t have to be a guessing game to know when the peaks will happen with FedEx^® Reporting Online.

• Get a summary and dig into shipment details of up to two years of data
  
  
• Analyze trends and patterns in your shipments for more accurate forecasting
  
  
• Save time, make strategic business decisions and answer questions faster with customized searches of past shipments
  
  

Keep customers informed
A big part of preparing for your peak season is setting the right expectations with your customers. Inform them if shipping times or prices might change during peak season and set up systems to monitor and respond to feedback during these busy times. That’ll help you keep your brand strong and create even better plans next time around.

Manage your time smartly
Time is of the essence when orders are flooding in. Here are some smart ways to keep your small business ahead: Visit fedex.com to check back for market or delivery updates, so you stay on top of what your business needs to know to stay ahead.

Set a daily schedule and checklists of tasks to stay on top of what you need to do, even when things get busy. A list of short- and long-term goals can also help to focus your attention on the most high-value tasks.

Be a staffing pro
Whether you’re bringing in extra hands or not, make sure your people are ready to support your customers with good customer service once peak season hits. Ask yourself these questions:

• Are my regular staff prepared?
  
  
• Will I need to hire extra staff and for how long?
  
  
• Can we offer more flexibility in delivery options?
  
  
• Do I need to organise different pick-up arrangements?
  
  

How to plan for your inventory
Estimating the right amount of inventory for peak season can feel as much art as science. One strategy that works: take smaller but more frequent deliveries that don’t overload your supply chain or create excess stock. The more you test your products with customers before launch, the easier it’ll be to estimate demand - data from inventory tracking software and website traffic can help a lot here. If you’re selling online, talk to your shipping partner like FedEx to find out the best ways to keep goods moving during peak season, like automating shipment paperwork or delivery options for customers.

Running a small business can feel like a constant race but take whatever downtime you have to plan for the peak seasons, and you’ll grow faster than you might expect.