IT is that time of the year when the world unites in celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ and so much more. Everywhere you go, you hear Christmas carols and you see all sorts of decorations to highlight the season. The holiday season is not limited to just the 25th day of the 12th month but pretty much spreads out to most of December and part of January. There is a general feeling of relaxation as the year is drawing to an end. It actually has less to do with religious factors if you look closely.December comes with a sense of evaluation as those working seek to slow down and see how the year has been. Many are in the mood to congratulate themselves for the small and big victories of a new house, job promotion, a new child or tying the knot with the one person their heart beats for most.It is at this time that some generous companies will offer their staff end of year bonuses. However even those who may not get any bonuses tend to spend quite a lot during this period. It is a time for giving, many say as they shop for nice things to give to their loved ones and family. The point I am trying to raise is that for any business especially those in retail, failure to make profits during the Christmas season is equal to doom. This is the best time to see customers flocking in and paying more willingly than at any other time. For you to cash in on this season, you need to be smart too. First of all, you need to get with the Christmas programme even if it is against your religion. After all, money has no religion. So go ahead and give your shop a new coat of paint and throw around some Christmas decorations. If it is big enough, you may have to think of having some sort of "Father Christmas” whether human or fake just to get the little kids pulling their parents towards your shop. It is also the time to hide that Rick Ross and P-Square music replacing it with the time tested Boney M or any other Christmas carols you can find.If you have a lot of stock hanging around your shop, then this is the best time for clearance sales. But even without this in place, you still ought to think of some prizes and offers to hook new clients or reward regular customers. There is nothing better than a customer who always remembers Christmas and your shop or products at the same time because of what they bought around this time. Why do you think the telecom companies always come up with different offers every Christmas season? It is very important to focus on what children love because no one loves Christmas like the little ones. Even if you mainly deal in adult products, find a way of looping in the children who will draw their parents to your store. Failure to cash in on the shopping frenzy that comes with Christmas means you will be faced with a drier spell at the beginning of the year when everyone is thinking about how broke they are after Christmas or how they are looking for school fees for their children. It’s now or never.