5 ways small business owners can use Gemini for Workspace to plan for the holiday season and New Year

For many small business owners, navigating the holiday rush is a crucial time to meet annual business goals. In fact, data from Constant Contact found that 50% of SMBs say holiday sales account for at least 25% of their annual revenue. This year, AI is here to help these organizations plan for their business-critical campaigns. With the right tools, every small business can lay the groundwork for successful end-of-year campaigns to reach holiday shoppers and ensure their brand stands out as they head into the new year.

Here are 5 ways that Gemini for Google Workspace can give your business a boost this holiday season:

1. Create marketing campaign visuals for the holidays with Gemini in Slides

In the sea of holiday promotions, eye-catching visuals can make all the difference in capturing customers' attention. While 68% of consumers say they pay more attention to marketing emails during this time, finding time to create them with great imagery can be tough, especially for small business owners who may not have a dedicated design team.

Gemini in Slides can help by generating custom images, enabling small businesses to explore and build creative concepts for their marketing campaigns.

Imagine you’re a local bookstore looking to spread some holiday cheer and boost sales. With a quick prompt to Gemini in Slides, you can create a cozy scene featuring a fireplace, a stack of books, and a steaming mug of hot cocoa. You could include the image in a slideshow displayed on in-store screens, creating a festive and inviting atmosphere that captures the essence of the holiday season. Or, this image can be used as a backdrop for your 2025 planning deck or as a header for upcoming holiday presentations.

2. Track your inventory and manage EOY expenses with Gemini in Sheets

The holiday season is an exciting time — bringing in a surge of customers — but it also brings a mountain of expenses and invoices. Keeping track of it all can feel like a Herculean task, especially for SMBs who are already wearing multiple hats.

Gemini in Sheets can help track inventory, manage expenses, and keep finances organized, so small business owners can focus on what matters most: their customers.

Let’s say you run a family-owned restaurant, and you're beginning to prepare for the holiday season. You’re planning seasonal menu changes, managing extra staff for the holiday rush, and dealing with fluctuating ingredient costs. With Gemini, you can quickly create a tracker that organizes your final-quarter expenses by category — like food costs, labor, and more — giving you a clear view of where your money’s going. 

To understand how certain changes in a category can impact your spend, you can also ask Gemini to create a formula so that you can calculate updated costs. For instance, you can ask Gemini to create a formula that shows you the updated spend if food costs or labor increase by a given amount.

3. Brainstorm creative sales campaign ideas for January — after the holiday shopping rush — with Gemini in Docs 

After the holiday shopping rush, many businesses experience a slowdown in January. Last year, retail sales declined by 0.8% during this period. Keeping customers engaged during this time can be challenging, but Gemini in Docs can help brainstorm creative sales campaigns that keep small businesses top of mind as customers ease into the new year.

For example, if you own a bakery that's been bustling with holiday orders and you want to continue that momentum throughout the rest of the year, Gemini in Docs can help you generate creative sales campaign ideas to entice customers after a holiday season full of sweets and treats. You might get suggestions like a "Healthy Bakes" promotion featuring lighter options after a month of indulgence or a "Winter Warmers" offering comforting treats and hot beverages.

Want even more personalized ideas? Ask Gemini to help you create content based on existing files like customer profiles or old marketing plans. With its ability to swiftly generate content and summarize documents, Gemini will help you brainstorm ideas that are even more targeted to your specific audiences.

These small, creative efforts can help you keep customers coming back even after the holiday season fades.

4. Craft New Year's Resolutions content with the Gemini app

The start of the year is when many people reflect on their goals and resolutions — whether it’s related to health, creativity, or personal growth. Businesses can tap into this mindset by leveraging Gemini to craft content that aligns with customers' aspirations, encouraging them to engage with your products or services as they start the year.

Imagine this scenario: you run an art shop and want to capture the energy of  the “New Year, New Hobby” trend. With the Gemini app, you can research what art trends are gaining popularity. Based on those trends, Gemini can help you brainstorm engaging content for your blog, social media, or email campaigns. By leveraging Gemini for both research and content creation, you’ll be able to easily craft targeted campaigns that resonate with your audience, helping them achieve their creative resolutions while driving engagement with your business.

5. Personalize end-of-year notes to your employees and customers with Gemini in Gmail to show your appreciation

The end of the year is the perfect time to show appreciation for the people who make your business successful — your employees and customers. With Gemini integrated into the side panel of Gmail, you can easily craft thoughtful and personalized notes right alongside your inbox, with the added convenience of Gmail’s smart reply feature for quicker, on-the-go responses.

For instance, if you own a coffee shop, you can tap Gemini in the side panel of Gmail to generate a heartfelt thank you note for your employees, acknowledging their hard work during the hectic holiday season. You can also use smart replies for quick follow-ups or personal touches. Or, with just a few clicks, have Gemini draft an email expressing gratitude to your loyal customers for their continued support, while smart reply offers thoughtful, ready-to-send suggestions. This will help you stay responsive and engaged, ensuring you navigate the holiday rush with ease.

These small gestures can make a big impact, fostering a sense of connection and loyalty that will carry into the new year.

Win the holiday season with Gemini for Google Workspace 

As the holiday season approaches, small businesses have a unique opportunity to boost their brand, connect with customers, and reach new levels of success. Gemini for Google Workspace puts powerful AI tools in the hands of entrepreneurs, automating tasks and freeing time to focus on what matters most.  

Learn more about Gemini for Google Workspace or check out our Gemini prompting guide to get started.