Small Business Saturday takes place after Black Friday and encourages shoppers to support the small businesses in their community. To get the most out of this annual event, your small business needs to prepare.
Enhance the customer experience
To celebrate Small Business Saturday and show some appreciation to your customers, Paul Lester of the U.S. Small Business Administration advises organizing a kickoff. During this event, you can provide food and drinks, create an in-store activity where you can show off your products, and provide free products or discounts to loyal customers.
According to Alyssa Gregory, a writer for The Balance Small Business, you can also make your shoppers feel welcome at your store by putting up helpful signage and offering coupons during the day. And as always, your staff needs to be prepared to assist customers and solve any issues they may encounter while the store is busy, notes Leadem.
Improve your website
According to Rose Leadem of Entrepreneur says your business should be regularly reviewing its website to make sure it’s working properly for customers. Before Small Business Saturday, it’s a good idea to confirm your contact information, address, hours, promotions, and payment process are all up to date and running well.
Your website also needs to be mobile-friendly, notes Leadem, since shoppers may search for your business and purchase items right from their smartphones. However, even if you don’t have an e-commerce store, a website that works well on both desktop and mobile means customers have access to your business’s key info.
Increase your marketing efforts
To let shoppers know about your business and the deals you’re offering for Small Business Saturday, Lester recommends promoting your business on social media. This includes informing customers about a unique product or service you offer as well as using popular hashtags to reach a wider audience.
According to Lester, another way to attract more customers is to ask shoppers to take a selfie in the store, post it online, and tag your business. Similarly, Leadem says to offer a promotion or discount to shoppers who check in on social media when they are at your store. Either solution may get more potential customers aware of your business.
Partner with others
You can team up with another business to increase your chances for a successful Small Business Saturday, says Gregory. Both businesses can distribute flyers and hand out coupons for each other’s business as well as co-host different events to grow each of your audiences.
Partnering with a local charity could not only potentially increase your sales, but also give you the opportunity to help those in need, according to Leadem. To do so, you just need to let shoppers know that a portion of your sales will go to a specific charity. Some shoppers may then be more motivated and happier to purchase your products.
Small Business Saturday is quickly approaching, so now is the time to prepare. If you want to learn about how to get your store ready for the big day, speak with a financial advisor.