Small Biz Saturday is not just for retail businesses. Even service providers and other types of small businesses can have fun. Small Biz Saturday is November 25 this year and it's a day when shoppers are looking to spend their money on businesses like yours, in particular.
Last year, consumers spent about $ 15.4 billion on small business Saturday in independent retail stores and restaurants. Although it is presumed that Small Biz Saturday is appreciated only by small shops and stores, many other types of businesses can take advantage of this special event, says Kevin Miller, director Neat Document and Expense Management
.
Miller, who previously owned a small business, specializes in meeting the needs of small business owners with Neat. Because of Saturday's small business calendar, Miller thinks it's the perfect time for businesses to reach customers and fulfill other important tasks, even for businesses that are not business owners. main street stores.
Saturday Small Business Ideas for Non-Retailers
Miller shared some great ways not to celebrate Small Biz on Saturday. Here are the top 10:
Start a campaign by e-mail
Small Business Saturday is a great time for small businesses to communicate with their customers, whether through scheduled email campaigns or personalized emails to each customer. Even if your business is more service-oriented, it may be the right time to remind customers of your offers while they have small businesses on the brain.
Miller says, "You can run email campaigns to encourage your customers to shop at small businesses, even if you work in the service industry. This allows you to position your brand as a company that supports small businesses. And customers who appreciate this might remember that the next time they will need a service you will provide them. "
Supporting Other Small Business on Social Media
You can make a similar positioning on social media. Post on your Facebook page or other small business accounts in your area or on Saturday local small business events. This may interest community-minded consumers and increase your reach on these platforms.
Send greetings cards
Since Small Business Saturday is part of the official beginning of the holiday season, it's the perfect time to accomplish some of your holiday tasks. Sending handwritten or personalized cards to your customers or your best customers can be a great way to differentiate your business and keep your services in mind.
Partner with other small businesses
Even if your business does not have a retail store, you can still enjoy the increase in retail traffic on small businesses on Saturday by associating yourself with the stores and restaurants in your community. Ask them if you can put signs at their location or offer coupons for your services to people who shop at these stores.
Mingle in the community
Especially for businesses in small towns or cities with active downtown communities, just being part of Saturday's small business festivities can be a great way to support your own business. Go to stores and restaurants and talk to other buyers and business owners, making sure you have lots of business cards and a good pitch for the elevators.
Support Local Events
Many communities are also organizing events for small businesses on Saturday. Your business could potentially benefit from sponsoring these events, setting up a booth or any other participation. Even if you can not offer something that customers buy that day, you can show active interest in the community and network with potential future customers.
Organizing an Open House
If your business has a physical location that is not just a store or restaurant, consider organizing an open house where you will invite people for refreshments or entertainment, especially if your company is located in a high traffic area. Simply getting people through the door can help you reach more potential customers and share what your business is all about.
Offer B2B promotions
For business-to-business businesses, consider offering some kind of product or special service to retail stores and restaurants that will be busy on Saturdays. Maybe you can offer a special rate on printed materials for marketing or a month of reduced service for accounting clients. Show that you support small businesses can help you keep these customers happy and potentially help you with some word of mouth marketing.
Preparing for Disasters
Recent hurricanes probably have a lot of small businesses thinking about their own disaster plans. For companies that do not experience peak activity during the holiday season, Miller suggests that it's the perfect time to create some of these plans, if it's not already done.
Be organized for the tax season
Similarly, the beginning of the holiday season means that the New Year is fast approaching. And that means businesses should be prepared for tax time. So, if you do not have any worries for your vacation, Miller suggests taking this time to organize all your important documents so that you do not have to hurry for the first few months of the year. .
He says, "There is a whole business sector that may not be busy at the end of the year. And we encourage many of these people to start preparing for the new year by doing accounting tasks, scanning paper documents and organizing them. Coming in January, you have more than four months before moving on to tax hour. So, for companies that are slow during the holidays, this period is critical to getting your finances in order. "
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