Get Set for the Silly Season: Preparing Your Venue for the End of Year Rush

The countdown begins; Melbourne Cup, Christmas parties, school holidays, Boxing Day, New Years Eve - summer is right around the corner. Between now and January, most businesses will pack a year's worth of big days and big nights into about ten weeks, with extended trading hours, bigger crowds, and more pressure on every part of the operation.  

And the venues and retailers that come out on the other side smiling are usually the ones that were prepared early.

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Every Customer, Every Way to Pay

Bigger crowds mean a larger mix of ways people will want to pay. Visitors will gravitate to your store using cash, groups will want to split a bill 6+ ways, work parties will settle a tab on a company card, and many customers will prefer to carry and spend more cash over the holidays. Making sure your setup is streamlined before the rush starts will keep the queues moving, save your staff from even busier moments, and keep your customers happy.

And it pays to make things clearer; easier to see, and easier to use. Signage at the bar, the counter, the entry, all showing the payment methods you accept, saves time at the POS and avoids surprises. It’s the little things that make this time of year easier!

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Keep Cash Secure and Your Team on the Floor

More cash on site means more counting, banking runs, and security needs, but during this time of year, the last thing you want to be doing is spending your valuable time on manual cash handling and in-person banking trips. It is vital to make sure your cash solutions are future-ready and efficient.

So, optimising your business with safe deposit features, reporting tools, accurate till and float dispensing, and providing your customers with easy ways to keep cash on hand, can support you with a secure, low pressure, high reward workflow.  

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Use Your Data to Plan Ahead

The best tool for preparing your business for the end of year rush is the information you already have. Your transaction data from last year's peak trading period show exactly when you were at your busiest, what customers were buying, and how they paid. These insights take the guesswork out of rostering, stock ordering, and cash handling. With data to guide the plan, you won’t come across those same issues with understaffing, underordering, and lack of payment solutions.

But if the rush feels like it’s arriving fast, don’t worry. There is still time to put the right reporting tools to work before it all ramps up. With some time set aside to prep, you can head into the busy trading period with a clearer picture and stay on top of your operations while the rush is underway!

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From Open Until Close, We’ve Got You Covered

Ready to set your business up for the end of year rush? Next Payments is here to help! Our range of solutions brings every part of your operations together.

Our ATM Range and Cash Xpress keep your floor moving, staff free and customers happy. Behind the scenes, the Cash Recycler counts, sorts and stores all your cash, reducing manual handling tasks. Our Cash Deposit Safes validate, secure and bank funds faster, cutting down on end-of-day work. Concilio then brings your data together into one clear dashboard, making it easy and efficient to identify variance and access reports in real time, taking the guesswork out of your reporting requirements.

Finally, EAGLEi360 tracks performance across your whole operation, combining live data feeds, member management, POS takings, EGM performance, F&B sales and more to give you a 360-degree view of your venue performance – helping you reflect, forecast and plan for whatever is coming next.

You don't have to enter the silly season alone; your Next Payments Business Manager knows your venue and is here to help you get ready. Reach out to them today to talk through your plans, or to check your setup. Head into the summer with confidence and come out of it smiling!

New to Next? See how our solutions can work for you - get in touch today to start the conversation! https://www.nextpayments.com.au/contact

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Have a question or would like more information? Please contact: media@nextpayments.com.au