How to Prepare Your Business for Q4 Sales

The last three months of the year are the busiest time to sell. October, November and December bring Black Friday, Christmas, end-of-year parties and Detty December, when family and friends come home from abroad and everyone is buying gifts, outfits, food and drinks.

"Q4" means October to December. For many small businesses in Ghana, it brings in more money than any other time of year, but only if you are ready before the rush starts.

Here is a simple plan you can follow, and the Strawlo tools that make each step easier.

1. Plan your Q4 in October

• Look at last year. Which products sold the most in November and December? Make sure you will have enough of them.
• Pick your hero products. Choose 3 to 5 items to push the hardest. It is easier to promote a few great products than your whole shop.
• Make gift bundles. People love ready-made gifts. Put products together at three prices, like a small, medium and large Christmas hamper, so buyers can choose fast.
• Do the maths before you discount. Work out how much you can cut your price and still make a profit. A sale that loses money is not a good sale.

2. Stock up early

In December, suppliers raise their prices, popular items run out and goods coming from abroad get delayed. Buy your stock and packaging (boxes, bags, ribbons, stickers) in October or early November.

On Strawlo, every product shows how many pieces you have left, and you get a low-stock alert when an item is running low, so you can restock before you sell out. Our guide on managing inventory shows how to keep your numbers right.

3. Get ready for Black Friday

Black Friday this year is on Friday, 27 November 2026. More shoppers in Ghana now wait for this day to buy, so plan something for it, even if your business is small.

• Tease it early. A week before, post on your WhatsApp Status and Instagram: "Something big is coming on Friday."
• Keep it simple. Put a few products on offer instead of cutting prices on everything.
• Reward loyal customers. Send them a code the night before so they get first pick.

Two Strawlo tools help here:

• Flash deals lower your price automatically at the start time and show a countdown clock on your store. When it ends, prices go back to normal on their own. The Business plan lets you run up to 5 flash deals at once, and Business+ has no limit.
• Discount codes give a private deal, like BLACKFRIDAY15, to the people who follow you. Strawlo counts every use, so you can see which post brought in the most sales.

You will find both under Marketing → Promotions. Read how promotions work on Strawlo for step-by-step help.

4. Sell gifts, not just products

At Christmas, people are not only shopping for themselves. They are buying for family, friends, church members and staff.

• Say who the gift is for. Add lines like "Perfect for Mum" or "Great for the office" to your product descriptions.
• Sell to groups. Offices, churches and schools often buy many gifts at once. With Wholesale prices, you can set a lower price per item for bulk orders, for example GHS 80 each from 12 pieces. The price updates in the cart automatically.
• Add a little extra. "Free gift wrapping with every hamper" or "Buy 2, get a free card" can win the sale. On Business+, Special offers show these deals right on your store, so every visitor sees them.

5. Bring back people who already know you

The easiest sale is to someone who has bought from you before.

• WhatsApp Broadcast lets you write one message and send it to every customer who has ever bought from you, from your own WhatsApp number. Use it to announce your Black Friday deal or your Christmas bundles. See how WhatsApp Broadcast works.
• Abandoned carts. Some people start paying and then stop. Maybe their MoMo prompt timed out, or they got distracted. Under Orders → Abandoned, you can see who they are and send them their checkout link on WhatsApp in one tap. In a busy season, these are sales you almost made already.

6. Set clear delivery dates

Christmas falls on a Friday this year, and the roads are very busy in December. Customers need to know when to order.

• Choose a last order date for Christmas delivery, for example 19 December for Accra and Kumasi, and earlier for other regions.
• Talk to your riders early and agree on prices and times for the busy weeks.
• Tell everyone. Put the date at the top of your store with the Announcement banner in Customize Store. You can set it to end on its own, so it disappears once the date has passed.

For more tips, read our guide on reliable delivery in Ghana.

7. Don't stop after Christmas

• Boxing Day (26 December) is a good day to clear leftover stock with a small sale.
• Say thank you. Send a short message to your Q4 customers and ask them to leave a review. Customer reviews help new buyers trust you in the new year.

Your Q4 calendar

Get started

This week, pick your hero products, check your stock and set up your first deal. The earlier you start, the calmer your December will be.

If you do not have an online store yet, you can create one on Strawlo and have your link ready long before Black Friday.