Everyone from the retail sector, wholesale distributors, and online sellers know what has been building up in recent days; the call has been made for orders to be processed in anticipation of the holiday season. 2010 represents one of the most crucial and challenging retail years in recent history, and only the sellers who plan and prepare will be able to enjoy a fruitful new year in 2011. Planning is essential, if businesses hope to make the most of resources and technology that’s available.

Those who are dealing with imports are going to need to do their homework early, as the process of establishing agreements and trade specifics can be a time-consuming affair, especially in the beginning. It’s of utmost importance to get sources verified and quoted by the middle of the year, so that placing the actual orders and beginning the process of shipping can come with an automatic margin for error that allows re-shipments from distant countries, or special rates that may be given to buyers who accept slower or more flexible shipping schedules.

It should go without saying that suppliers appreciate early orders for goods, since it keeps the wheels of their companies moving, and encourages more detailed dialogue between them and their customers, without the crunch of holiday time making things feel hasty or under pressure.

As the holiday season approaches, it becomes increasingly expensive when securing rates for shipping, and it becomes equally difficult to make good on delivery time lines. Recent economic headaches for everyone in the business has also created some additional obstacles, such as cargo with reduced capacities, and special schedules that don’t allow too much flexibility. The most obvious of all changes to anticipate is the price hike that comes with related services, not just the actual shipping.

Great importance is placed upon security these days, and while there are many legitimate and secure methods of transacting shipments from other countries, it’s a safer and far more effective strategy that includes the luxury of time, since mistakes can be caught early, and hopefully corrected without much incident. Time and advance preparation oftentimes affords the luxury of sampling goods at leisure, too.

Being early also allows buyers to take the time and effort to provide purchase orders and payment information using Letters of Credit, credit cards, and other secure methods, thus ensuring a stress-free shipment process.

It may seem rather obvious, but the storage facilities that hold containers and goods that are being prepared for their voyage to a new home are relatively easy to fill during the off-season. Prices generally reflect the lag in business, and companies that are dealing with goods that can sit and wait for some time will benefit greatly from not paying a premium for shipping.

With delivery and shipping dates confirmed, the time is right for followups and further confirmations to be made, even as the goods are in transit. Typically, this is the stage where unexpected changes and events can make trouble, and only the ones who order early are going to avoid the excessive pains of clearing matters up under the deadlines of hundreds other customers who are waiting for their orders as well. Being certain to keep tracking numbers at the ready, and promoting the first shipments of goods will perhaps create incentives for customers to buy early, giving stores a great boost to early numbers for the year.

Containers of goods will be flooding into ports, and ground shipping will be proportionatly greater as well. This could be a good time to consolidate shipments, in order to make the process not only less expensive, but to make the most of an opportunity to take control of the situation, and put everything together for greater convenience. While shaving off a few dollars will be worthwhile, it’s difficult to put a price on peace of mind.

The last few months of the year – generally the last quarter – is the time to focus completely upon sales and marketing, without the distraction of supplies and logistics to make the environment anything but conducive to selling. With the proper panning and preparation, companies that stocked up early will be at a tremendous advantage over the ones that procrastinated and allowed their holidays to be filled with stress and worry. Customers can smell fear in the air, and nothing is more fearful than a business that hasn’t covered  its bases, while watching competitors ring up sales at the register through the entire holiday season.