Holiday Rush Preparation – Step 2: PREPARE

Get Festive and Organized with Your Cropster Holiday Rush Checklist

The jolliest time of the year is just around the corner, and we all know that Santa keeps his list all year round—so now is the best time to share ours with you! The key to conquering the holiday rush is starting now, because failing to prepare means preparing to fail.

Whether you’re a one-person operation or managing a bustling team, thoughtful planning is your golden ticket. Break down your holiday prep into manageable bites, making it easier to handle things solo or delegate like a holiday pro. With this checklist in hand, you’ll be ready to sleigh this season!

1. Holiday Special

Decide whether you are doing a holiday blend.

How to create a blend with Cropster? Check Out for STEP 3: Create a blend.

• Decide what your holiday bundles will include.
• Ensure you have the necessary green beans and packaging in place.
• Order all extra items for your holiday bundles in time.
• Create your B2C marketing campaigns to launch them latest in November.

2. Green Bean Buying

• Decide on whether you are doing any holiday blend which requires extra roasting.
• Plan exactly how much (extra) green coffee beans you will need.
• Place your order in time to account for warehouse closures and shipping delays.

3. B2B-Customer Communications and Order Management

• Ensure early communication with your B2B customers about their orders and your holiday special.
• Plan out your customers’ coffee needs for the holiday season.
• Plan deliveries accordingly with extra time due to holiday season delays.

4. Team Availability and Work Schedules

• Plan your staff hours, keeping holiday operating hours and potential workload shifts in mind.
• Create a solid plan to cover for sick days and holiday leaves.
• Figure out a way to handle additional roasting needs without overwhelming your team with too much overtime.
• Ensure you’ve set aside enough time for packaging and any special holiday labeling.
• Plan for any special handling needs for bundles and how to manage them efficiently.
• Account for holiday delays and make sure your shipping timelines are adjusted accordingly.

5. Organize your Cropster Environment

• Have the new products available in Cropster (whether it’s coffee or non-coffee products. You can do both in Cropster!)
• Set up your new bundles in Cropster Commerce
• Create the new profiles, profile groups and post roast blend profiles in Cropster. You can then connect these to your Cropster Commerce products.
• Set up your Commerce environment (WooCommerce / Shopify) Make sure the new products are added and that they have all variants and SKUs added.

By wrapping up these essential tasks, you will create a festive atmosphere that not only boosts your business but also spreads holiday cheer to everyone in your roastery.

Ready to create your Holiday Blend now? Head over to STEP 3: Creating your Blend with Cropster.

Head to the full Holiday Rush Preparation Guide.