5 ideas to make Small Business Saturday your day!

Locally owned businesses are hot! Thanks to a decade of shop small messages, consumers are better understanding the positive impact shopping small can have on their community.  

You can capitalize on the momentum by actively participating in Small Business Saturday. 

According to the 2018 Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey, produced by American Express and NFIB, 104 million shoppers spent a record high of $17.8 billion on Small Business Saturday last year. But there’s an even more important reason than one days sales for making this “holiday” your own. According to a survey by Reliant Funding, a staggering 83 percent of customers say that Small Business Saturday encourages them to support a local business year-round.

So if you’re a locally owned retail or restaurant, stay out of the Black Friday fray and go all in on November 30th on the holiday designed just for you!

1.  Start here
Go to the American Express website to claim your free collateral and business listing. https://www.americanexpress.com/us/small-business/shop-small/studio?intlink=us-mer-sbrc-sbs-studio

2.  Create special offers designed to bring customer in – and return.
Deep discounts aren’t always in the best interest of small businesses so create innovative opportunities designed to get customers in for the event AND bring them back again on a later date.

• For every $100 you spend get a $20 gift certificate to use later.

• Triple rewards points to your loyalty members (and anyone who signs on)
  on Small Business Saturday.

• Restaurant -purchase a meal and receive a gift certificate for use on your next visit.

• Salon/spa - Pre-book your December appointment and get a free blowout or mini massage in January.

• A free gift with purchase.

• Make a charitable donation for every purchase

• Free service with purchase (for example, if a customers buys $250 in
  clothing, they can make an appointment to come back in for a free styling session.

If you do want to discount, think about limiting sales to certain items or category or items or certain day parts. Remember, you don’t have to put your entire store on sale or compete with Walmart to be successful. Create offers that resonate with your customers and make your store stand out!

3.  Make it a special day

Make Small Business Saturday and festive and fun experience. Offer hourly raffles or deals, entertainment, and refreshments. Hide a toy or small gifts inside your store for visitors to find. Show off your personality and your store far beyond the price tags.

4.  Promote

Promote big and promote often!  Post your event on your website, send multiple emails to your database and post on social media. Change your Facebook header to a Small Business Saturday message. Create a Facebook event so people can show interest. Use plenty of in-store signage. Let people know your store or restaurant is THE place to be on Small Business Saturday.

And most importantly, deliver your personal backstory. Let people know more about you, your commitment to the community and why you love what you do. It helps customers feel good about buying from you.

5.  Collaborate and co-promote
If your center has a number of locally-owned businesses, pull them together to make a bigger impact by cross-promoting the entire group of small businesses ready, willing and able to service customers on Small Business Saturday.

November 30th is your opportunity to bring your small business front and center as an important part of the community and one people can feel good about patronizing!

Until next time, remember…
You can do this!

Angel

Creating a Signature Holiday Promotion People Will Talk About

There’s a German restaurant in NYC named Rolf’s that’s been a neighborhood staple for over 40 years. During most months, the establishment attracts a small, local crowd. But in the fall and winter, people line up around the block for hours just for the opportunity to warm up over a drink while taking in one of the most elaborate Christmas displays imaginable.

You see, every year Rolf’s transforms from a rather unassuming restaurant into a winter wonderland. Virtually every inch of every surface in the restaurant is decorated.   What used to be a holiday business booster has expanded to an annual event that draws interested locals and tourists for nearly half the year.  Rolf’s has grown its signature promotion to such an elevated level that it has become a “must see” in NYC.

As you plan for this holiday, why not think about creating your own signature promotion?. This is about much more than stringing some lights or offering free gift wrap. This is the type of promotion you can build on year after year and resonates with your community.

As you start planning here are some basic tips to creating a true signature promotion:

It becomes synonymous with your brand
It can build in importance and/or scale over time
    It is unique or at least better executed than others like it
    It is buzz worthy
    It draws new customers and is responsible for an increase in business.

You’ll need to consider the size of your store, target audience, nuances of your community, your personal talents and passions as you develop this idea.

Here a few ideas to start getting you inspired.

Add a service

Create a “send us your list” service through which you pull appropriate gift items and have them ready for review during a scheduled private shopping appointment.

This is personal shopping at the highest level!

Give them a reason to come in-store

Create a video station where customers can create video cards to send to friends and family. Go all out with props and décor. If you live in a military town, they can send the videos to their loved ones and you can show them in-store to honor those in service.

Align with a charity

Make it meaningful. If you’re going to raise money for a local animal rescue, be sure showcase adoptable dogs regularly and even dress them for the holidays. 

Whether you’re raising money/awareness for vets, children, animals or hospitals, be sure to include those who are affected to bring humanity to the effort.

Consider putting a cash value on loyalty points and allow customers to donate those points to a charity of their choice.

Everyone collects food and toys for charity during the holidays. Your job is to make an impact.

Exclusive offerings

Create a mini-gallery, showcasing local artists/artisans throughout the season.  Make sure the objects are exclusive to your store. Have visitors vote on their favorites and award prizes to the winners.

Remember, your signature promotion doesn’t have to be about the holidays but something you do to mark the season. Notoriety doesn’t happen overnight. But if you start thinking about this as a long term project and invest the time and effort, perhaps one day you’ll have a line out the door as well.

www.rolfsnyc.com