We’re continuing our conversation on planning for the busiest season of the year! In this follow-up episode, Aaron and Terry dive into the second half of our holiday preparation series for garment decorators, screen printers, embroiderers, sublimators, and DTF shops. This time the focus is on what makes or breaks Q4: clear customer expectations, simple and effective holiday marketing, and protecting your sanity while staying profitable. Learn how to set realistic cutoff dates, communicate policies that keep customers happy, and create a marketing plan that helps you stand out during the holiday rush. We’ll also talk about why saying “no” is sometimes the best business decision you can make. If you want to finish the year strong without the burnout, this episode gives you the practical strategies and encouragement you need to thrive this holiday season.

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Terry: You know when you buy a bag of salad and it turns brown and soggy really quick?
Yeah, a bag of cookies won’t do that

Segment 4: Customer Expectations & Policies

Setting cutoff dates, rush order policies.

Importance of clear deadlines and transparency.

How early communication prevents complaints.

This will not only be appreciated by your customers, but also subtlety let them know you are a serious and in demand decorator.

The big deadline for most of us will be the last day before Christmas so that your customer can still place an order and receive it before the holiday.

This includes the time to get in any product to decorate, and to allow you time to produce the product and deliver or ship in time.

No one wants their order a day late here.

If you’re new to this, pad your deadlines a bit. It’s hard to turn down orders, but better to have a shorter window for placing an order than by missing holiday deliveries.

Be sure to give your regular customers a heads up that the holidays may stretch out turnaround times, so place your orders now so you’ll be at the front of the production line.

Segment 5: Marketing for the Holidays

Simple Q4 marketing plan (calendar, social, promos).

Teasing products early, loyalty deals, Cyber Monday push.

Focus on specialties instead of saying yes to everything.

Next week I’ll have details for my 4th Quarter Marketing Masterclass and Workshop. Opportunity to be intentional.

Segment 6: Protecting Your Sanity

The power of saying no kindly but firmly.

Balancing workload with profitability.

Choosing joy and pride in being prepared.

Wrap-Up

Key takeaways: forecast, plan, communicate, simplify.

Call to action: start your holiday planning now.

Be sure to read Terry’s article in Impressions Magazine

Your employees might like to give the same gift items they’re boxing and shipping out for you every day. As a screen printer, every year I would have a special and unique holiday graphic created. Employees could place orders for garments at my cost, and on a specified date we would print all the employee gift items as a single production run. Happy employees made for a happier holiday season around my shop, and into the coming year. Help your employees have a happier holiday too.

We serve up bite-sized tips for our #regulators to instantly spice up their decorated apparel business. Just like the perfect wing sauce, these quick tips can transform your business experience, adding flavor and depth to your operations. Each video in this playlist is a nugget of wisdom, carefully selected for its potential to bring immediate value to your work. So, whether you’re a seasoned pro or just getting started in the decorated apparel industry, dip into our ‘Secret Sauce’ for insights that can help you soar.