How your small business can gear up for “Small Business Saturday”
As you know, we love small businesses here at The Corporate Concierge Group. Why do we love Small Businesses? I’ll give you 3 reasons why
Small businesses help build the local economy.
You typically experience much better service at smaller companies as opposed to its larger competitors
There’s always a great story behind every small business. Generations of families have built relationships with the owners of local businesses and patronize them exclusively because of this. From the dry-cleaning place on the corner to the local diner that’s been in existence for 75 years that makes the best peach cobbler, people feel connected with local establishments which is why we hate to hear about them going out of business.
To keep the doors of these great establishments, open, while paving the way for new businesses, we all need to support “Small Business Saturday”. Small Business Saturday is a National shopping holiday held on the Saturday after Thanksgiving during one of the busiest shopping periods of the year.
Founded by American Express on Saturday November 27, 2010, the purpose of the event was to encourage consumers to support local small businesses. In 2011, it became an official day. The United States Senate unanimously passed a resolution of support for Small Business Saturday.
In 2015, based on consumer self-report data from the Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey commissioned by American Express and the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), 95 million people went out and shopped at small businesses.
This year Small Business Saturday falls on November 26, 2016 (which happens to be my birthday!) As an early birthday present from me to you, I’ll be giving you tips on how to prepare your business for one of the seasons busiest shopping days.
Throw a business event
Side walk sale: Lure customers in with a side walk sale. For those customers who have yet to shop in your store, eat in your café or taste your amazing chocolate filled warm donuts, a side walk sale will surely win them over! Create signs and post them outside of your store, so that customers can see that there’s a sale. Set up tables with items in front of the store. Don’t forget to add a sign to let people know to come inside and browse through the store!
Include Local Charities
One way to give back while creating a “buzz” for your business is to donate a portion of the proceeds from your Small Business Saturday sales towards a local charity. For example, you can find a charity or an organization geared towards children to donate funds.
Free gym classes
One way to drive traffic to your local gym is to offer free classes. Encourage patrons to bring a friend, learn about the gym’s fitness programs, trainers and more. If you’re a personal trainer, Small Business Saturday is a great way to find your next client by offering a free boot camp.
Online boutique
So, you’re an online boutique with no store front. How can you participate in Small Business Saturday? A Pop Up Shop. Small Business Saturday would be the perfect opportunity to partner with another local business owner to have your items sold in-store.
Do you own a cosmetics line? No store front, no problem! Collaborate with a local Salon, Boutique, or Retailer and set up a station with a chair, large mirror and table. Don’t forget to bring lighting in case buyers want to test the products on themselves, also some stores and salons have dim lights.
Food
One way to get people out of the house is with food! Provide your shopper with free coffee and tasty treats such as pastries and cookies for guests while they shop.
Marketing and Promotion
If you have an online following, or want to build up your following, Small Business Saturday will raise brand awareness. Did you know that American Express Trademarked Small Business Saturday? The credit card giant also created a very popular hash tag #smallbusinesssaturday on Twitter. Use the hash tag to promote your business, events and promotions.
Remember to tell your online audience to tag you in their photos of them shopping in your store. Create signs displayed in-store encouraging customers to tag you in the photos they take in store. Why? Because it gives your business exposure to your customer's following. Free marketing with no additional fees!
Update your website for Small Business Saturday events, promotions and deals.
Promote Small Business Saturday on your social media platforms. Create a social media marketing campaign and include hash tags. Send out emails of your promotions, events and deals to your subscriber list. Ask customers to sign up for deals for Saturday November 26, 2016. Here’s a tip: Ask users to post Snap Chat or Instagram stories of themselves shopping in-store or purchasing items online.
Here are some ideas for Special Offers
15-25% percent discount on all new items
Gift with any purchase over $75
25 percent off your next purchase when you spend $50 or more
Free Gift wrapping
Personal trainers and coaches: offer free meal plans, discounted coaching sessions for new clients who sign up on Small Business day.
Hair Salons: offer discounted prices on services such as eye brows, waxing, and nail designs. Create referral coupons for customers who refer friends and family to apply towards a service. Another special offer is in-store makeup services at discounted rates. If you don’t have a makeup artist on staff you can collaborate with a local makeup artist to set up a station in the salon to do makeup for customers.
Home based cooks, chefs, personal chefs, you can get in on Small Business Saturday as well! Create free mini eBooks using Blurb Books with your favorite recipes. If you’re thinking about making dinners for that day, offer your customers discounts on meals and desserts on their next purchase.
Social Media Strategists, Branding and Business coaches get your content together, put it in eBook and sell them at a discounted price.
Get your business ready for Small Business Saturday! It's a great way to meet the community and have a wonderful time!
