The Critical 41-Day Window Most Founders Miss

Did you know that 81% of consumers are open to receiving marketing messages from a small business after visiting or buying during the holidays?

There’s a reason those sleigh bells pierce your eardrums well before Halloween. 32% of U.S. shoppers plan to start their holiday shopping between July and October – and if you’ve ever wandered into a T.J. Maxx or HomeGoods in September, you know that to be true!

Retail Dive recently pointed out that the Holiday season is shrinking, as there are fewer days (26) between Black Friday and Christmas Day this year. Termed Holiday Creep, Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales for major brands launched early October last year. Walmart got an even earlier jump by releasing its “Top Toys List” the second week of September to tempt customers.

So, what are our small businesses key takeaways?

Here’s the good news. You don’t have to be HomeGoods to dominate this six-week window.

Here are 4 simple tactics any small business can do to kickoff Q4 and prepare your business for the opportunities, and madness, of holiday marketing.

01: Prime your Existing Audience

Creating connection with your ***existing*** audience is important at any time of the year before you ask them to re-engage; but it’s especially important for holiday.

“Your existing customers are 9x (!!) more likely to buy from you than a new customer. ”

A lot of founders fall into the trap of trying new sales in Q4 (which is doable with the right strategy). However, your existing customers are nine times more likely to buy from you than a new one!

If you’re wanting to squeeze as much juice out of this marketing lemon as possible, create a 6-week re-engagement campaign for your current customers.

02: Tease what’s coming:

(warming lists, this tactic is specific to email marketing)

The average consumer receives **75% more marketing emails in November and December** (another reason to start earlier!).

Brands that start a list warm-up 2–3 weeks before their holiday push see up to 20% higher conversion rates on actual holiday promos.

Here are three ways to do this right now:

(2–3 weeks before campaigns)

📝 Send value-first content (guides, tips, sneak peeks).

📈 Slowly increase send frequency (if you usually send 2x/month, ramp to weekly).

Re-Engage Inactive Subscribers

🥶 Segment “cold” subscribers (>60–90 days no open).
🐶 Send a re-engagement campaign (“We’ve missed you… want to keep hearing from us?”).
🦆 Clean non-responders to protect deliverability. We don’t want sitting ducks on your email list.

Build Anticipation with “Teasers”

📣 Subject lines like “Something big is coming…” or “Mark your calendar for Nov 15th”.
📦 Share behind-the-scenes (packaging prep, product drops, event sneak peeks)
These are all great ways to warm up your list!

03: Gather and Segment Your Lists

(specific to email marketing)

Segment your most-valued customers with tailored, personalized messages that speak directly to each individual.

And don’t forget to nurture your warmest leads with re-engagement. This protects your campaign from the dangers of December inbox fatigue.

04: Test Content & Creative Early

You had their curiosity. Now, gain their attention. Use these early weeks to test and optimize your collateral—email subject lines, creative visuals or messaging.

What This Means For…

Product Brands (Surprise & Delight)

Holiday sales are projected to grow at their slowest rate since the pandemic due to economic uncertainty. So, that means customers are going to be more specific with where they spend and the deals that they get.

How can you surprise and delight them through your offers, gifting experiences, packaging, or personal touches?
Early personalized activations like hand-picked products unique to them, favorite items, or related products to accompany what they've already purchased are perfect hooks for value-seeking consumers.

Gift Guides!

Gift Guides are a great example: you could be a toy company that publishes a **“My Top 10 Gifts Under $30”** guide. As a matter of fact, *54% of shoppers start researching gift ideas in October or earlier!*

What This means For…

Service Brands (Lock In, & Look Ahead)

Holiday isn’t just about product sales, it’s also when your buyers are in the mood to invest in their future. Whether it’s closing out 2025 with a strategic reset or gifting a transformational experience, service brands can (and should) turn the holiday rush into a launchpad for Q1 success.

“Services specific to consulting, training, and coaching see a spike as budgets get lock in with contracts before December 31 (B2B engagement is 22% higher in Q4!).”

If you’re working with corporates or larger accounts, close those last lingering deals to secure your 2026 Q1 pipeline!
Google trends show that searches for “coaching,” “courses,” and “certifications” spike late December → January, riding the New Year’s resolution wave. If you work with individuals and sell those services, tap into that opportunity with your offers and messaging.

Giftable Services Are Growing

Gifting experiences/services are up **31% since 2020** - think memberships, coaching packages, workshops, retreats. If you sell any of those, consider this framing and storytelling for your Q4 push.

Holiday success isn’t about doing more, it’s about doing the right things at the right time. Start early, stay consistent, and keep your focus on quality over quantity.

✨ Last tip: Before you log off today, schedule one small action you’ll take this week to prep for the season ahead. Tiny steps now create huge results later.

✌️ Until next time,

Jess, Co-founder of Her Brand & Co, Head of Learning at Full Tilt.

Click here to learn more about Her Brand & Co. and how founders can grow their business with easier, better marketing.

Resources: Retail Dive, Klaviyo, Total Retail, Marketing Dive, Publitas