Luck favors the prepared. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Or Sarah’s personal favorite, Proper prior preparation prevents poor performance. Whatever saying you choose, they are all true - especially when it comes to Black Friday Sales. The pressure is on to do a sale or Cyber Monday special during Thanksgiving week - or is it? We’re diving into the power of preparation and how to have a successful Black Friday sale - or not.  You Don’t Have to Do It You have permission to say no. Take some time right now to make an intentional decision about whether or not you are going to do it. It has to be the right decision for you and your business. Is this the right year for you? Has it worked for you in the past? Do you have the energy to do it well? Make a good decision for you and your business and then be at peace with that decision.  If You Fail to Plan… You can’t wait until the week of Thanksgiving to decide to do something. And, you don’t want to be influenced by what “everyone else is doing”. It just won’t work for you and your business to throw something up at the last minute. Doing this as a business owner just leads to disappointment because you haven’t given it your best effort. If you are going to do it, make a plan for it so you can do it well. Whatever you decide, do it all the way.  If You Are Going to Do Something If you’re going to do a sale or special offer during the Thanksgiving season, then be sure you are doing it well. Be specific in your planning so you can have the success you want. It might be time to invite someone else into your business to give you some insight. You might also need to invest in some coaching or a new program to do it well this round.  Work Smarter, Not Harder We think “I’m just going to keep trying at what I’ve done in the past and maybe this time it will work!” But that isn’t always the case. Sometimes we really need to be more specific in our strategies to stop the cycle of working harder but not getting the results you want. Here are a few questions you can ask yourself: Is there something you already have in your business that you could bundle together? What is something that has sold well that you could discount? Don’t create something new for this sale - people aren’t necessarily looking for something new.  Other Episodes Mentioned Today Episode 35: Embracing Change: Harnessing the Power of Transitions for Growth Episode 25: Mastering the Customer Review Game: Part 1 Episode Links Want to set up your own successful Black Friday Sale? Need help with your social media plan? Let’s get strategic on an Empowerment Call to set your sale up for success. Book an Empowerment Call with us as we take a peek into your business, offer some advice, and help you get past the roadblocks you might be facing. Sign up here. Do you have a hard time making decisions in your business? If you are struggling to decide if a Black Friday sale is right for your business, then grab our free ADDS Model Guide, Make Expert Business Decisions. Be the empowered CEO your business needs and make decisions confidently!  Follow the Podcast on Instagram  Find Lisa on Instagram - Branding + Photography See Sarah on Instagram - Christian Business Coaching Leave us a review on iTunes! Help others find the podcast. Take a moment to leave us a 5 star review!