Are you ready?
Thanksgiving is now a little over a week away and many national retailers are promoting their best Black Friday deals. You, as a small business owner, should also be gearing up for one of the biggest holiday events for small, local businesses – Small Business Saturday.
In 2010, American Express created the holiday. Over the 6 years since, trends have been changing and many consumers are now supporting their local businesses on Saturday versus trekking out at 5:00 am on Friday to the big box stores. In fact, in 2015, according to the Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey released by the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), there was an 8% increase (that’s 95 million consumers) in small business shopping over the 2014 turn out.
With that in mind, it’s time to have your plans in place for Small Business Saturday (November 26, 2016). We’re here to help with some tips and resources for you.
- Determine Your Deals – First of all, if you haven’t already, determine the deals and specials you are going to offer. This should be a given that you have this in place. Without your deals and specials, what will you have to drive consumers into your business. It is most important that you have these laid out ahead of time.
- Promotion – Promote your participation everywhere. Promote it on all of your social media sites, website, your storefront and local newspapers. If there is an opportunity to get your promotion in front of your audience – take it. Another great resource comes from American Express itself. American Express has FREE resources you can use to promote your business. Find them here.
- Join Groups – It is equally important to be an active participant. It’s not just “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.” Small businesses should unite and support each other to aid in their business success. If you aren’t already, become an active participant in your community. Join small business associations and groups. On Facebook, follow Small Business Saturday for additional resources and up-to-date information.
- Celebrate – Most importantly, celebrate and enjoy this holiday. Make it a fun event for your customers and you. Make your pride in your business shine.
- Don’t be Afraid to Ask for Help – Finally, if you feel that getting your Small Business Saturday moving is overwhelming, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Supporting the needs of small businesses are what we, and many others, are all about!
We wish you a successful and prosperous Small Business Saturday. Enjoy it – it’s your day to shine!
Sara Husted is a partner, blogger and social media manager at Virtual Office Admins out of their west coast location. For a FREE consultation, click here to contact VOA today!