The Last 3 Weeks of August: How to Prepare Your Small Business for a Busy Fall and Holiday Season
If you're a small business owner, the last few weeks of August are a bit of a gift.For many businesses, it's one of the last quieter stretches before things start picking up again.
Back-to-school shopping begins, fall appointments start filling up and holiday planning gets underway. Before you know it, Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Christmas are just around the corner.
I see the same thing happen every year.Business owners get busy serving customers and suddenly realize they haven't taken photos, planned promotions or thought about their social media in weeks.
Then the panic sets in.
"What am I going to post?"
"Do we have any Christmas photos?"
"We should have planned this earlier."
The good news?You still have time.
Spend these last few weeks of August preparing now, and your future self will thank you.
By investing a little time now, you'll have content, promotions and marketing materials ready to go when your attention is needed elsewhere.
1. Take Photos. Lots and Lots of Photos.
If I could give every small business owner one piece of advice, this would be it.
Take more photos than you think you'll ever need.
Photos are one of the most valuable marketing assets you can have.
You'll use them on:
Your website
Instagram
Facebook
LinkedIn
Google Business Profile
Email newsletters
Blog posts
Printed marketing materials
Don't wait until you need a photo to take one.Plan a photo day, or even a photo week.
Capture:
Your staff
Behind-the-scenes moments
Your workspace
Products
Services
Customer interactions (with permission)
Seasonal displays
Holiday décor
Lifestyle images
If photography isn't your strength, hire a local photographer or ask a talented employee or friend for help.
My Favourite Tip
Whenever I photograph content for clients, I never show up with just a camera, I create a detailed shot list first.
Usually it's a spreadsheet that outlines every photo I want to capture, so I don’t forget anything.
I'll even pull out my Thanksgiving, Halloween and Christmas props in August so we can create seasonal content months ahead of time.
You may not have every holiday product in stock yet, and that's okay.Getting a head start means you'll have a library of images ready when you need them most.
2. Plan Your Holiday Products Before They Arrive
If you sell products, now is the time to review what's coming.
Look through your purchase orders for September through December.
Ask yourself:
Which products deserve their own feature?
What will make a great holiday gift?
Which products pair well together?
Can I create gift bundles?
What items should I photograph first?
Create lists and highlight products that deserve extra attention.
Think about:
Gift guides
Holiday collections
Staff favourites
Customer favourites
Best sellers
Stocking stuffers
Limited editions
When your shipments arrive, you'll already know exactly what content you want to create.
3. Plan Your Promotions Before You Get Busy
If you're a service-based business, your busiest months often arrive before you know it.The last thing you want is to be brainstorming promotions when your appointment book is already full.
Take an hour with a notebook or your laptop and ask yourself: What do I want to promote this fall?
Some ideas include:
Barber Shops
Back-to-school haircuts
Holiday gift cards
Beard grooming packages
Spas and Medispas
Holiday skincare packages
Gift certificate promotions
Winter skin treatments
Mortgage Brokers
Mortgage renewal reminders
First-time home buyer education
Year-end financing tips
Home Service Businesses
Fall maintenance reminders
Pre-winter inspections
Seasonal service packages
The earlier you plan, the better your promotions will be.
4. Organize Your Photo Library
Here's a task that doesn't sound exciting but will save you a surprising amount of time later.
Spend an hour organizing your photos, delete duplicates, remove blurry images you'll never use.
Create folders for different seasons, products or events.
For example:
Fall
Thanksgiving
Halloween
Christmas
Staff Photos
Products
Behind the Scenes
Customer Photos
Storefront
The next time you need a photo for Instagram or your website, you'll know exactly where to find it instead of scrolling endlessly through thousands of pictures on your phone.
If you use Google Photos or Apple Photos, take advantage of albums and favourites to keep everything organized.
Your future self will thank you.
5. Update Your Website Before Things Get Busy
Many businesses focus entirely on social media, but don't forget your website.
Now is a great time to:
Update photos
Refresh service pages
Add a seasonal banner
Pre-write some blog content (to be published when you’re busy)
Add FAQs
Update staff photos
Refresh business hours
Review your SEO descriptions
These small updates improve both your website's visibility and your AEO by giving search engines and AI-powered search tools fresh, relevant content.
6. Block Time to Create Content
Planning is only helpful if you actually make time to create the content.
One of the biggest mistakes I see business owners make is creating a wonderful marketing plan... and then never putting time aside to execute it.
Open your calendar and block off dedicated content days now.
Maybe that's:
One morning for photography.
One afternoon for writing captions.
A couple of hours to update your website.
Time to design graphics.
An hour to schedule social media posts.
An afternoon to write a newsletter or blog post.
Treat these appointments like meetings with your most important client.Because in a way, they are.
When September arrives and business picks up, you'll be glad you invested the time now rather than scrambling to create content between customers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should businesses plan holiday marketing in August?
Planning in August gives you time to create content, photograph products, organize promotions and update your website before the busy fall and holiday season begins.
How often should I take photos for my business?
Aim to schedule at least one dedicated photo session each season. Capturing a variety of people, products and behind-the-scenes moments gives you a library of content to use throughout the year.
What should I photograph for social media?
Focus on your team, products, workspace, services, customer experience, seasonal displays and behind-the-scenes moments. Authentic images often perform better than generic stock photography.
How does updating my website help SEO and AEO?
Regular updates, fresh content, FAQs and blog posts help search engines and AI-powered search tools better understand your business, improving your chances of being discovered online.
Success Starts Before the Busy Season
One thing I've learned from working with small businesses is that the most organized businesses rarely feel rushed.
That's not because they're less busy.
It's because they prepare before the busy season begins.
The next three weeks are an opportunity.
Take the photos.
Plan your promotions.
Organize your products.
Update your website.
Create your content.
Future you will be incredibly grateful when October and November roll around and you're able to focus on serving customers instead of wondering what to post on Instagram.
And if planning your marketing feels overwhelming, I'd love to help. Whether it's content creation, photography planning, website updates or building a seasonal marketing strategy, I can help you head into the busy season feeling organized, prepared and ready for success.
Remember, you don't have to use everything you create this year. Good content has a long shelf life. The photos you take this August can be used next fall, the Christmas after that, and even on your website for years to come. Think of it as building a marketing library that will continue to save you time year after year.