Think back to any of last year's holidays. Did you buy some new decorations? Probably. Did you plan a party or host a dinner? Likely. Did you buy gifts or take advantage of special sales and promotions? Undoubtedly!

Well, instead of being on the spending end of this year's holidays, why not turn the tables and put on a promotion of your own? During the fall and winter holidays especially, people are jolly, joyous, and a little more willing to open their wallets.

Of course, no honest person wants to take blatant advantage of people and their money, but for those who are already ready to buy, why not take advantage of the season by giving them a special deal?

If you have a brick-and-mortar shop, why not have a holiday open house? These events are obviously more common from Halloween to New Year's, but have you ever though of holding this kind of party at your store for the 4th of July? Advertise free refreshments, music, and giveaways, and people will come in droves, no matter what holiday it happens to be. At the very least you'll have a good time showing others a good time, and you'll probably make a lot of extra sales. If holding such a bash requires you to stay open a little later, why not? After all, 'tis always the season to please.

If your business has its only home on the Internet, put some festive touches on your web site. Try decorating it with lights, fireworks, or other festive delights. Play some holiday music, or offer free holiday sounds or screen savers for those who stop by (if you do this, you might want to register your download site with search engines to make sure people can find it). People love to decorate their home or office computers with the free stuff they find online, so why not join the club?

Another fantastic way to use holidays for marketing is to send out festive cards to your current and past customers. Wish them a happy holiday and thank them for their business. If possible, have them hand-signed for a personal touch. Be sure your company logo appears somewhere on the card.

During the Christmas season, why not buy some attractive but inexpensive tree ornaments or other decorations, and stamp them with a small version of your company logo? Offer them free to those who make purchases, or sell them at your counter (or on your site) for a ridiculously low price. People tend to keep and collect decorations over the years, so your cheap little ornament is bound to make a lasting impression.

Whether it's Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, or Ant Farm Harvest, holidays offer a great chance for your business to show its stuff. Let people see your kindler, gentler, jollier side and have a little fun with your promotions. When January rolls around again, your bottom line will be glad you did.