I know that this week is absolutely crazy for some people. A lot of people are having Black Friday sales, it’s Thanksgiving for my American friends, and everyone is just getting ready for the holiday season if they’re not already in holiday mode already. So I just wanted to bring you a super short episode with just a little mindset shift to consider as we close out the year and answer the question: can you make more money in December?
I feel like at this stage of the year, a lot of us feel like our year is kind of set. We have made most of the money that we’re going to make, or at least we know what we can expect in December. It’s easy to fall into a trap thinking that nobody buys in December or hey, maybe you don’t really want to work in December. That’s what we’re going to talk about today.
Listen on Apple | Listen on Spotify
Table of Contents
Okay, so I want to rewind about five years ago when I had just started this business and was transitioning out of my wedding business. I don’t remember the exact timing of it, but I remember I was with Candice (who came on the podcast to talk about omnichannel marketing in episode 11) who was my coach for a majority of my wedding business time and she is really the person that I attribute a majority of my wedding business success to.
But my point is, I was broke in December. I would have loved to make more money in December. It is an expensive time of year and I was feeling it. I told her that I was going to start marketing more in January and I was going to maybe have a sale in January to try and bring some cash in because December was basically a write-off.
I know it is so easy to feel like, “oh, December’s a write-off,” but it is literally 8% of the year. That just feels like way too much to write off (unless you’re making a conscious decision that you don’t want to work in December). I’m talking about people who are thinking, “I wish I could work,” “I wish I had more work,” and “I would love extra cash this month.” The people reading this who want to make more money in December.
Anyway, I remember sitting on a hot seat call or something with her and I was like, “well, nobody really buys in December, blah, blah, blah.” And it’s like she instantly was like, that’s not true. You’re saying that like it’s a fact, and the truth is your client’s reality is not your reality.
I don’t remember how she worded it, but it was something along the lines of: what if December is actually the best time for your clients to make an investment? They get a write off before the end of the year. A lot of them are thinking, where can I put my money to get more write-offs?
So in that moment, I feel like I realized the fact that MY circle was saying, “nobody buys in December” and “everyone has so much going on,” didn’t make it objectively true. In a lot of ways, December is a great time to invest if you want those last end of year write offs. So yes, it’s possible to make more money in December.
If you want to make more money in December, just remember an expensive personal time of year does NOT mean it’s expensive for someone’s business
I also think it’s important to say your reality is not always your client’s reality. I feel like consciously we know that, but we don’t always really know that. This is where our mindset holds us back sometimes because now when I look at the place I am in in my business, the fact that I’m spending a lot of money around Christmas personally does not affect my business’s ability to invest. They’re totally separate. Whereas at the time that I made that statement, I was literally solopreneur taking every dollar I made in my wedding business and paying myself.
It’s funny—at one point, I thought that during expensive personal times, like when people are buying Christmas gifts for all their friends and family, nobody would have extra money to invest in their business. I’m so fortunate that someone helped change my mindset around that because now, at a different stage in my business, I see how that’s clearly not true.
Anyway, I want to offer—again, I feel like I’ve said this eight times in the past five minutes—but I just want to share that if you do want to make more money in December, here are three quick things that I think can make a difference. They can help attract people who might actually be looking to invest in December while acknowledging that people likely do not want to be hard-sold anything. Nobody wants super heavy marketing content—I don’t think so anyway!
Now, if you want to make more money in December, here are 3 things you can do!
1. Offer January Start Dates
Anyway, the first tip is to offer clients the option to start in January. It’s such a small thing, but it can make a big difference. And of course, only say this if it’s true, but you could position it like this: “I’m reevaluating my pricing and packages, and they’re likely going to shift in the new year. If you know you want to work together but prefer to start in January, you can lock in this year’s pricing with a deposit.” That’s an easy way to make more money in December.
Or it could be something as simple as: “I know you might not want to have a kickoff call or submit a bunch of forms during the holiday season, but now is a great time to book your spot before my calendar fills up.” It doesn’t even have to be about pricing—you can frame it as: “Listen, I only have two more spots,” or whatever is true for you.
If someone already knows they want to work with you, this approach makes it easy for them to commit without the rush. Let’s be honest: everyone says they’re going to start January 1st, but in reality, it’s usually around January 5th when people start getting into a groove—and maybe not until January 15th before they’re really ready to make decisions. So how nice is it for someone to lock things in ahead of time, knowing they’ve already taken care of a key piece of their plan? A lot of people are in that mindset, and I think this is a great angle to use in your marketing.
2. Ask Your Current or Past Clients If They Need Help With Anything
The second tip: if you’re looking for a little cash infusion, reach out to your current or past clients and ask if they need help with anything in December. A lot of us want to take more time off during the holidays—we’ve got family commitments, holiday plans, and all that.
For example, if a contractor I work with reached out and said, “Hey, I have some extra hours in December. Is there anything you’d like taken off your plate?” I’d probably jump at the chance. I’d be like, “Take it all! You want to work in December? I definitely don’t.” Honestly, maybe I’d offload all my work. December is one of those months where, if your clients—or even your ideal clients—are starting to check out mentally but still have tasks they’d love to finish by year-end, this can be a great opportunity for you to step in and say, “Hey, I’ve got extra time—do you need help with anything?”
I cannot stress enough how easy it would be to sell me on it. That’s another great way to market yourself or offer a service to make good money in December.
3. Offer Bulk Packages
The third tip is something I’ve done before, and it might work well for those of you who, like me, offer monthly services. Normally, I don’t offer smaller, one-off options—like if someone wants just two blog posts, I’d typically say no because I require a longer commitment. But if you’re looking to secure next year’s revenue or get clients to pay in December for work you’ll deliver in January, creating packages can be a great option.
For instance, one year, I offered a “buy a pack of five blog posts” option. I think I gave a slight discount at the time—I don’t remember the exact details. But I had a client buy two packs of five blog posts because they didn’t want to commit to weekly blogging but still wanted 10 posts for their website. We ended up completing the work over the first quarter of the next year.
If you want to make more money in December, this lets you meet clients where they’re at while still securing work and revenue upfront. It can be a win-win for both sides!
So Yes, It’s Possible To Make More Money in December
I just wanted to wrap up with a quick reminder: around this time of year, it’s easy to fall into the mindset that the year is almost over and that it’s impossible to make more money in December. But that’s just not true. Anyway, that’s my short episode for today. Enjoy your holidays if you’re celebrating this week, and I’ll talk to you next week!
LINKS MENTIONED
- Hire us to write SEO-driven blog posts for you
- Join Blogging for Bingeable Brands (Use Code PODCAST10 for 10% Off!)
- Learn more about working with our marketing agency here
- Follow me on Instagram
