Manta: SMBs predicting happy holiday revenues

"The holiday season can bring both immense pressure and great rewards to local small business owners, so this is the most critical time for them to leverage online tools and the vast expertise of other business owners," said Pamela Springer, CEO of Manta. "We're pleased to see many of the small businesses in our community gaining awareness about how their online actions impact their business - from their online presence on sites like Manta, to selling goods and running promotions online - and sharing their best practices and advice with other business owners."

"We're expecting the holidays to be busier than ever this year and I plan to use a small arsenal of online tools that I trust and that I know work for my business," said Norman Linton, Owner of Kentucky-based Tees N Textiles LLC, and a customer of Manta.

One interesting finding: more than 40% of those surveyed believe the bulk of their sales will come from online stores this year, up from one-third who said the same in 2011. How can SMBs make the 2012 holidays a hit? Manta suggests:

• Running cross-store discounts/campaigns with fellow SMBs to engage more shoppers
• Look at what worked in 2011 and build off those successes
• Focus efforts on sales methods that are tried-and-true - like window displays or creating merchandise boards on social media like Facebook or Pinterest
• Know which consumer groups buy which products to appeal to the widest audience

Tags: 2012 holiday forecast, Manta, smb tips, smb trends