Like a stealth movement preparing to take over, we’ve been noticing luxury mince pies, knobbly walnuts and festive cards sneakily appearing on our supermarket shelves, parked cheekily next to workaday tins of beans and showing off with red ribbon and shiny bits. So it’s only a matter of time until those already annoying advert breaks begin to have jingle bells as backing music, luring us into panic purchasing for our nearest and dearest and lodging songs we wished we could forget into our minds (‘mistletoe and wine’ anyone?).

“But it’s only September!” we hear you cry. Indeed, but there’s no denying that small businesses always need to be ahead of the game. Planning well ahead for Christmas is crucial for our scheduling of projects, and pre-planning is essential for anyone wishing to fully take advantage of this time of year for their business. Whether it’s special offers, Christmas eshots, or just a great time to make the most of seasonal goodwill with your marketing and advertising, planning ahead for print deadlines or product launches makes sense right now (even as the sun still shines and flip flops have not yet been fully packed away).

So we think letting a bit of Christmas sparkle into your day isn’t such a bad idea if it means your business will be ready once the festive spirit is upon us. (Just promise us one thing – absolutely no sneaky mince pies until December.)