As soon as Thanksgiving starts looming near, the first thought on many people’s minds can be summarized in two words: Black Friday! Also known as the ultimate shopping day for many a deal-addict out there!
However, while there are many opportunities to save “beaucoup” money on Black Friday, there are even more opportunities to make it even more strategic by preparing adequately. I remember the days of waking up extra early on Black Friday to hit the stores, sacrificing precious sleep and turkey leftovers to score a few good deals. Fast-forward a few years later, I’m learning to indulge my beauty sleep and enjoy those mac-and-cheese-and-stuffing leftovers by doing some advance prep work!
Here are 7 steps to actually be ready for Black Friday, minus the stress, sleepless night before and missing out on the best leftovers because your cousins are too broke to go shopping but hungry enough to terminate any food in sight:
Make a list
Black Friday mistake numero uno: jump into the abysmal sales pit without a list! This simply opens you up to buying any and everything that has a discounted price tag in sight. Instead, smarten up and make a list the day before!
List all the gifts you need to buy for Christmas first, and any extras you’d like to indulge in! This way, you will focus on getting what you need first and save precious money, time and energy in the process!
Create a budget!
A woman (or man) without a set budget on Black Friday is setting herself/himself up for financial doom! Also read: you will come home broke (and hungry, but that’s another issue for another day!).
Again, do not jump into the Black Friday sea of sales without a budget, aka your holiday life jacket! Do some homework the week before and figure out how much each of the items on your list is going to cost you. Use sales circulars and ads to plan ahead of time how much money you will need. And do NOT, I repeat DO NOT, go over it!
Stay home!
Did I mention my sleepless nights from a few years ago, when I used to forego Holy Sleep for Tempting Sales. After a couple of kids and some pretty heavy Thanskgiving dinners over the year, I’ve become wiser (and more cognizant of my own physical limitations).
Did you know that according to dealnews.com, you can find the same, if not almost the same, deals in stores than in the comfort of your cozy home in front on your laptop, nibbling on some leftover fried turkey. Chile!
Before you sign up to venture out in the cold at the wee hours of morning, at the risk of getting stepped over for a deal on the new ipHoneX, consider doing the same at home! And saving just as much, plus beauty sleep, extra food and your life and sanity too…
Protect your credit
Keep in mind that your credit cards to shop online or offline can increase your chances for credit theft! As you score amazing deals and get all your African aunts the latest Fenty makeup products, remember to monitor your credit score too!
Use sites like Credit Sesame or Credit Karma to monitor changes in your credit score during this period.
Save some items for Cyber Monday
Cyber Monday is also a great shopping day! Think of it as the cute auntie to Black Friday who likes to chill comfortably at home! Instead of running from store to store with your barely digested Thanskgiving turkey still navigating your sleep-deprived body, you can just shop online on Monday (instead of doing your work)!
Reserve some items for Cyber Monday by placing them in your cart and saving them there! You’ll find them there on Cyber Monday, plus the discount you can now happily take advantage of!
Ship items directly to people
Take advantage of the many free shipping offers on Black Friday by shipping gifts and items directly to people! Instead of shipping them to your house, and then having to re-ship them out, you can kill two birds with one stone and score some serious shipping savings!
Plus that also means less to think about as Christmas approaches and you start losing whatever you have left of edges…
Google coupon codes for websites
Do some prep work and research the coupon codes for the websites you’re interested in! This will save you even more money, time and energy instead of scrambling at the last minute. Make a list of all the coupon codes you will need and save them in a safe, accessible place. Now that’s what you call organized shopping!
What other tips do you have to prepare for Black Friday?
Start your week off with with a class twee jacket in a powerful red! This Ann Taylor fringe tweed zip pocket jacket is perfect for the office, paired with your favorite pencil skirt or easy slacks. It transitions well into the weekend with a crisp pair of jeans and a simple white tee. It’s $179 at Ann Taylor.
A business plan is what a foundation is to a home. This means that without an appropriate business plan, chances are your business won’t make it. However, when we think of a business plan, many of us think of a daunting, lengthy process that may force us to figure everything about our business beforehand. Yet, it doesn’t’t have to be.
Creating a business plan for your business can be daunting. For many business owners, especially new business owners, creating a comprehensive business plan can seem like a challenge. Which is exactly why so many entrepreneurs tend to skip this step.
However, what many of us don’t realize is that creating a business plan for your business is the best way to ensure that your vision, purpose and business process are clearly thought through. Neither does it have to be an overwhelming task. While there are many intimidating business plan templates out there, remember that the point is to gain clarity over your business and devise a feasible plan.
Here are 5 easy steps to start with a simple business plan:
1. Your Mission
What is your business’ mission? In other words, what is the “why” behind your business? How do you plan on helping people?
Asking yourself these questions will help you determine the mission behind your business. The reason why this is so important is because your mission serves as the foundation to your business. Without a mission that resonates with you and with your ideal audience/clients, you lack the necessary clarity to push your idea forward.
My mission is to help women do work they love. It stemmed from my own need to change my career and life so I could do work I love and build a fulfilling career. What is yours?
To Do: Determine the “why” behind your business, and spell it out with as much specificity and detail as possible.
2. Your Strategy
What specific problems will you solve? How are you going to help your ideal audience and clients? This will be translated in the products and/or services that you will create.
The clearer you are about the problems you will be solving for people, the more successful your business will be. People are attracted to solutions that benefit them. By identifying issues they already deal with and bringing about the appropriate solutions, you are creating a market for yourself.
To Do:
· Identify your ideal client, i.e. the person that you will be helping. Draw a mental picture of who he/she is. You can even give her a name, personality, address, etc.
· Brainstorm all the problems that your ideal client may have.
· Pick the problems that your business will help in solving.
3. Your Marketing:
How will you promote your products and/or services? How will you manage to get new clients?
It’s one thing to have a solid foundational mission and create amazing products and services. However, without the proper marketing, the right people will never know about it and be able to buy from you. One of the biggest mistakes I made when I started in business was to under-estimate the power of great marketing. For many businesses, it’s the make-or-break element of your entire strategy.
To Do:
· Brainstorm all the ways that you can promote your business (word of mouth, social media, etc)
· Pick at least three (3) ways that you will focus on to begin.
4. Your Tribe
Who are the people who will support you as you build your business? These people may be your family and friends, as well as close associates and business partners. It’s important to remember that it takes a village to build a successful business. As such, you must surround yourself with the right support system.
Resist the temptation to isolate yourself! You need people, the right people, that is.
To Do:
· Make a list of all the people in your personal and professional/business network who can help you in carrying out your mission (these are also people you can trust and who can identify with your purpose)
· Make a plan to start reaching out to at least 3 of these people and involving them in your business
· Don’t forget to keep networking and expand your circle as well
5. Your Finances
What are your business financial goals? What are your monthly profit objectives? In turn, how many sales/clients do you need in order to achieve this level of profit?
A business eventually has to make money. While the beginnings of your business may not be as profitable as full-blown businesses, you must focus on creating growing profitability.
To Do:
· Determine how much profit you want to make after subtracting all your business expenses
· Translate this in terms of sales and clients
· Make a plan to get all these clients and realize the necessary sales for the next month
Welcome to our weekly career, entrepreneurship, lifestyle and fashion news roundup! Think of it as your online watercooler/work gossip station/coffee break spot for now…Want to add anything to our list? Email us at corporate@thecorporatesister.com!
Linked In just introduced Linked In Career Advice to help you find mentors;
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Which jobs pay more than $100,000? The Indeed blog answers the question;
Welcome to our weekly career, entrepreneurship, lifestyle and fashion news roundup! Think of it as your online watercooler/work gossip station/coffee break spot for now…Want to add anything to our list? Email us at 
