Business · FORTUNE
Fortune #24
Mixed — reflect carefully
Holiday sales should not stand in for the whole year. Compare earlier seasons and stock for actual demand.
QUOTE CARD
A quote for you
“เสียงฟ้าร้องนั้นดีและน่าประทับใจ แต่สายฟ้าต่างหากที่ทำให้เกิดผล”
— มาร์ก ทเวน
นักเขียนและนักอารมณ์ขันชาวอเมริกัน ผู้เขียน The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
- Person
- Mark Twain
- Source work
- Letter to an Unidentified Person (1908)
- Source text
- Thunder is good, thunder is impressive; but it is lightning that does the work.
STORY & REFLECTION
The gift that sells in one season
Guidance-based illustration · The gift that sells in one season
Illustrative scene: A gift basket shop has a packed December. The owner nearly orders the same amount of materials for February because the busy counter is still fresh in memory.
She reviews last year's records, separates holiday from regular orders, and arranges staged supplies. Less cash is tied up in materials after the season passes.
The SBA recommends using customer behavior and market trends to test a business idea, alongside competitor research. Evidence from actual customers can guide the next question.
A memorable peak deserves a full-year comparison.
Reflection
Seasonality is easier to plan with past data.
A small action today
Compare recent months with the same prior period.
A question to reflect on
What does the same period last year suggest about next month?