Essential Holiday Tips for Youth Activity Centers

Essential Holiday Tips For Youth Activity Businesses

We’re all about gentle reminders that the holidays are just around the corner and for youth activity centers that means business is getting busy! 

The holidays really are “the most wonderful time of the year,” and it is the time when businesses flourish and sales boom. Here are a few holiday essentials to help you navigate the season seamlessly. (Visit Jackrabbit’s Holiday Hub ->)

Create A Calendar

Youth activity centers thrive on calendar organization. Whether you have one to rule them all or have smaller calendars for each department or activity level, calendars are a great way to communicate with staff and families throughout the holiday season. 

With the busy holiday schedule, your business may remain closed on certain days and have shortened working hours on others. Mark these days on your calendar and start planning classes and staff accordingly. (See how Jackrabbit Class can help you manage PTO and staff time →

Once you have your business’ holiday schedule, be sure to communicate updated hours and closures to your students and their families. Add planned events and performances to the calendar so all the information can be found in a single spot. 

To make sure the season runs smoothly, add deadlines and big tasks to your personal calendar or an internal-facing calendar. Plan ahead for other business closures, run a thorough inventory and order business essentials (office and cleaning supplies, etc.) before your providers close for the holiday season. 

Get Organized

Our list of holiday business tips would not be complete without a couple of organization tips. 

There is no such thing as planning too early, especially when it comes to running a youth activities business. So, roll up your sleeves and start organizing for the upcoming holiday season!

Several businesses join in the jolly spirit of holidays by hosting parties. This is even more true for companies that cater to youth and children. The holidays are the perfect opportunity for creating a stronger bond with your students and their families outside the strict program of their activities. Make to-do lists where you include tasks like ordering holiday decor and sending out invites to make your planning process easier. 

When it comes to end-of-year reporting, set aside enough time to pull your reports and plan ahead for the next year (Check out Jackrabbit’s end-of-year reporting checklist →). This will allow you to see the last year’s progress all tied up in a bow. 

Create A Holiday Marketing Strategy 

While keeping busy with party planning, don’t forget to organize your communication with students and families. Whether it’s social media posts, blog content, emails, or push notifications make sure you have a dated schedule with all relevant information. 

With so much going on, you don’t want your marketing responsibilities to hold you back and it’s an important part of your holiday and new year strategy. Organizing a marketing calendar with what emails need to be sent out, when social media posts should be uploaded, and what blog posts should be written is the best way to make sure you are marketing your youth activity center correctly as the year winds down. 

While updating your holiday working hours, don’t forget to update your website and social media using holiday themes as well. If you utilize paid social media ads, the holidays are a great time to spread the word about holiday discounts and special offers to increase the visibility of your youth activity business and attract new clients.

Prioritize Customer Support 

Customer support can make or break any business, and this also holds true for your youth activity business. In light of the upcoming holiday season, make sure to prioritize customer support and your customer experience.

During the holidays, you may have an increase in parent questions about their child’s progress or requests to reschedule classes due to holiday obligations. Several of your clients may be traveling to enjoy the holidays with their loved ones. Others may want to enjoy the festive season without a busy schedule. Whatever the case, be prepared to answer emails and phone calls and meet with parents in person. Have your calendar handy, and try working with your customers to reschedule classes and meet their requests. 

Set Holiday Goals

One of the most important business tips is to set your holiday goals well ahead of time to help achieve them. Review your previous holiday seasons and plan accordingly.

How did your business fare during the previous holiday seasons? How was your student and staff retention? If your previous holiday seasons have shown that the largest percentage of your students decide to interrupt their activities schedule during the holidays, it may make sense to change your holiday hours significantly. 

With the schools being closed, you may find that more and more students flock to your business as a way to constructively spend their time. If this is the case, then you might need to consider adding extra classes and hiring additional employees to cover the increased demand. 

Whatever the case, reviewing your previous holiday data will help you strategize and brainstorm ways to tackle this season and maybe even grow your youth activity center. 

Embrace The Festive Spirit 

Though the holidays can be a logistical nightmare for some business owners and a great source of stress, they can be fun as long as you follow these holiday tips and take time to enjoy the magic of the season. 

With effective planning, organizing, and a thorough review of past holiday experiences, you can make it through the holidays with your positive mentality intact. So, create your calendar, get organized, create a holiday marketing strategy, prioritize your customer support, and set holiday goals.

Whatever you do, remember to embrace the festive spirit and share the fun and jolly times with your staff members and your clients. Take time to celebrate and rejoice in the festivities. 

After all, the holidays are “the most wonderful time of the year.”

Sign up for the Jackrabbit Class newsletter to get monthly tips on how to improve your business in the New Year. 

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