It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is just next month. In many parts of the country, it's still warm and the leaves are a rich bright green. But give it a few weeks and businesses in every sector of the economy will be shifting their marketing efforts and promotions toward the winter holidays including Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year’s Eve.

Major retail outlets across the nation will announce sales while filling the aisles with candy canes and decorations. Meanwhile, small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) will tap into holiday marketing not with TV commercials bearing elves and snowflakes, but in the same way they always have, by leveraging relationships with good old-fashioned personal contact. However they still need help preparing their programs.

As a promotional products distributor, you can definitely help your customers get ready for the upcoming holiday opportunities. Promo marketing Magazine served up smart ideas on what SMBs can buy to strengthen their marketing messages and some tips to get the ball rolling.

First off, promo marketing contributor Ashley Chiaradio states that ordering early is great advice for your customers hoping to add some cheer to the fourth quarter. Specifically, she reminds us that the "holiday season always sneaks up on people," and that soon enough your SMB customers — just like everyone else — will be balancing normal business hours with seasonal celebrations and family commitments during the reputed most wonderful time of the year.

"Before you know it, we’ll be wrapping gifts and stringing lights," she writes, advising the right now is the time to check in with customers about their promotional efforts. Moreover, she writes that it is okay for you and your clients to be inspired by retailers in making holiday sales efforts a little early.

But when it comes to promotional products, what works? Does everything have to be red and green? For many SMBs, just doing something connected to the holiday trend may be enough.

Chiaradio also recommends items that play up the celebratory nature of the holiday month, such as food items and collectibles like tree ornaments or fun holiday toys. Or help your customers bundle up their best clients with warm outerwear and fleece hats emblazoned with companies’ logos. Of course, there are also the quirky "ugly Christmas sweaters" and "ugly Hanukkah sweaters" that continue to be hits with customers reveling in the jolly side of the season.

Even if your main customers don't bite on holiday promotions, they will need to plan ahead for 2017 soon enough. And they will appreciate the marketing and promotional expertise you bring them throughout the calendar year.

Regardless of how much you sell at this time, Idea Custom Solutions is ready to provide support for all your vector artwork and embroidery digitizing designs for decorating items. If you plan to provide detailed proposals featuring various products or update your website with new options, we can provide image virtual samples and image editing — all at great prices and in 24-hour turn times! To get a sense of the quality and breadth of our work, check us out on Instagram: idea_custom!