Small businesses plan events, start marketing earlier to deal with shorter holiday shopping season

The holiday shopping season is underway, and this year small businesses have less time to capitalize on the busy shopping period.

Only 27 days separate Thanksgiving and Christmas — five fewer than last year. But there are still ways to make the most of a shorter season.

The National Retail Federation predicts that retail sales will rise between 2.5% and 3.5% compared with same period a year ago. Online shopping is expected to grow too. Adobe Digital Insights, a division of software company Adobe, predicts an 8.4% increase online for the full season.

But small businesses have to work extra hard to compete against bigger retailers. One key strategy is to promote deals to customers wherever you can, from social media to physical ads. Also, cultivate repeat customers by offering special deals to loyalty program members.