Ghana’s year does not run at one speed. The busy weeks for a tailor, a food vendor, a salon, a tutor or a shop are different from the quiet ones, and the gap between them is where many small businesses lose customers. The enquiries still arrive, but nobody answers. The shop closes early without the profile saying so. The laptop used for orders overheats in the dust and stops working in the middle of a rush.
Seasonal planning is not complicated. It is a short, written plan made before the season starts, reviewed afterwards, and kept simple enough to follow while you are busy.
The main seasons to plan for
These are the periods that most often change how customers buy and how quickly they expect a reply. Adjust them to your own trade and location.
- Christmas and New Year. Gifts, parties, travel and end-of-year spending. Orders often arrive earlier than you expect, and deliveries slow down close to the holidays.
- Ramadan and Eid. The Islamic calendar is lunar, so the dates move about eleven days earlier each year. Customers may shop at different hours, and you may need to adjust opening times. Confirm dates in local announcements close to the time rather than relying on a fixed date.
- Easter. A short, sometimes busy period, with public holidays that change what you can deliver and when.
- Back-to-school. Uniforms, stationery, laptops, school fees and tutoring. Enquiries often cluster into a few weeks.
- Rainy season. In much of the south, customers may travel less or delay purchases, while deliveries and outdoor work slow down.
- Harmattan. The dry, dusty period from about December to February. Fine dust can affect laptops, printers and phones, and dry air can make some customers and staff uncomfortable outdoors.
Not every business feels each season in the same way. A bakery may be busiest at Christmas. A tutor may be busiest in September. Write down the two or three seasons that matter most to you.
Step 1: Mark your busy and quiet weeks
Take a year-view calendar and mark three things: the weeks you will be busiest, the weeks you will be short-staffed or travelling, and any periods when you will be closed. Do this before you look at promotions. A plan built around your real capacity is easier to keep than a plan built around hope.
Step 2: Update your public hours and holiday hours
Customers check hours before they travel. Update your Google Business Profile, your WhatsApp Business hours and any printed signs at least one week before a change. If you close for a public holiday, say so on every channel you use.
Keep the wording plain. “Closed on Monday 25 December, open again Tuesday 26 December at 10am” is more useful than a general line about holidays.
Step 3: Prepare your replies before the rush
During a busy season, the first casualty is response time. Prepare these in advance:
- a WhatsApp away message that says when you will reply;
- quick replies for common questions: prices, location, delivery times and how to order;
- a short template for customers who are waiting longer than usual; and
- one person (even if that is you) who checks messages at set times each day.
A reply that says “We have received your message and will confirm within 24 hours” is far better than silence.
Step 4: Plan stock, bookings and deadlines
For products, decide how much stock you need and when you will reorder. For services, decide the last date you can accept a booking and say so clearly. For tailoring and custom work, set a deadline for measurements, deposits and fittings, and publish that deadline so customers can plan.
Set a deposit or confirmation policy that you can explain in one sentence. How you run it is your decision. The important thing is to apply it consistently and tell customers before they commit.
Step 5: Protect your devices in harmattan and the rains
Dust and humidity are real issues for the equipment many small businesses rely on. Simple habits help:
- keep laptops on a hard, flat surface with space around vents;
- wipe keyboards and screens with a dry or lightly damp cloth, and power off first;
- keep a spare charger and a backup of your order records; and
- test your backup before the busiest week, not during it.
If a device starts to overheat or behave strangely, do not wait for the rush to end. A short check can prevent a lost sale.
Step 6: Review the season afterwards
Within two weeks of the season ending, write down five things:
- Which week was busiest, and was your response time acceptable?
- Which questions were asked most often? Add them to your quick replies.
- Which product or service sold best, and which sat unused?
- What went wrong with stock, staffing, delivery or devices?
- What will you change next time?
Keep the note in one place. The next season’s plan will be quicker and better because of it.
A simple seasonal checklist
- Busy and quiet weeks marked on the year calendar
- Holiday and special-period hours updated on every channel
- WhatsApp away message and quick replies ready
- Stock, booking and custom-order deadlines published
- Devices cleaned, charged and backed up before the season
- Post-season review scheduled
If your Google Business Profile hours or listing details need updating before a busy period, our Google Business Profile service can help you make the changes accurately. Ask for a quotation based on your current listing.
Ask about Google Business Profile setup and updates
This is general planning guidance. Confirm religious and public-holiday dates locally each year.