Is your small business ready for Small Business Saturday? This year it falls on Saturday November 26th, 2016. We’ll review some things you can do to make sure your business is ready for the biggest shopping weekend of the year.
The holidays are fast approaching and with it the busiest retail season of the year. Consumers are projected to spend $600 on average for gifts this year [source]. All of these major sales get kicked off on the day following Thanksgiving, Black Friday--the largest single shopping day.
Many people will bemoan the shopping day’s encroachment into Thanksgiving as a negative consequence of retail ambition, but few will dispute the positive effect the weekend has for other, smaller businesses. As people become more conscientious shoppers they behave in ways that will support their local community rather than big box stores.
A survey conducted by SalesFuel shows that 54.8% of Cyber Monday shoppers would prefer to shop at small businesses for comparable products at similar prices. And that 23% of adults plan to shop on Small Business Saturday in general. Make sure your business is ready.
Make Sure Your Information Is Accurate
It’s easy to forget about your online presence when you’re busy with the day to day activities involved in running a business. Now is a good time to check and make sure that your information is accurate online and other places. Store hours, location, web addresses, and store descriptions should all be ready to point customers in the right direction. While you’re at it, make sure you give full, descriptive summaries of your business in these directories. Many new customers are doing research on where to shop and need to know what to expect when they arrive. This helpful article describes how to edit your business listing with Google.
Get Social
Social media is a powerful outreach tool for small businesses. There is little to no startup cost involved and you have access to reach a wide range of people. Those people may be existing customers that love your product and want to spread the word, or new customers waiting to find you. If you have a marketing budget you can spend a little here to promote your tweets or advertise on Facebook. Try to include pictures of your products, as they are easier to share and get attention. Use the hashtag #shopsmall for Small Business Saturday.
Spread The Message
There’s more you can do besides tweet to get your message out there. Take a look at your marketing plan and make sure you are reaching people. How will you get shoppers if no one knows about your store or what you offer? Print advertisements are still effective, just make sure you put them in publications that will reach your target demographic. If you sell skateboards it doesn’t make much sense to advertise in The Wall Street Journal.
Usually your local papers or e-zines are very supportive of small local businesses and they’re always looking for fresh content. Offer to do an interview about your business or become a contributing sponsor of a Thanksgiving 5k event to help bring eyes to your brand.
Giveaways are popular too. Everyone loves free swag. Find a low cost item you can make or buy in bulk to hand out to potential customers so they remember you. For instance, these bottle openers can be custom engraved with your logo and web address.
Does Your Website Work?
Websites are pretty much essential these days. Luckily they are another relatively low-cost way to support your business. Make sure your website is up to date and works on both desktop and mobile platforms. Many people access information on the go and if your site doesn’t load correctly on a phone you’re going to lose customers. The quickest and easiest way to check? Pull out your smartphone and go to your website! Or find out more about your website with a free webtool like Nibbler.
Relax
Small Business Saturday can be a part of a big weekend with a lot of stress involved, but remember to take a deep breath and relax. Pay attention and learn from your mistakes. It’s all a part of growing your small business. You reward your employees for their hard work and you should remember to reward yourself too. Once the dust settles from the shopping mayhem, take a moment to appreciate yourself and what you’ve accomplished.
