What would our communities be like without the local coffee shops where the baristas make our favorite drink when we walk in, the hair salons with hairdressers who we share funny stories with, or the retail shop with the staff made up of generations of family?
People desire a sense of community and you, as a small business owner, have the ability to create strong personal relationships with your customers. A great way to call attention to your business and its unique role in your area is Small Business Saturday.
When
Small Business Saturday takes place Nov. 30, 2019 (the Saturday after Thanksgiving each year). The day was created in 2010 by American Express to encourage consumers to “Shop Small” and buy from their local shops in an effort to support the thousands of small businesses across the nation.
Why
When consumers shop small, it puts money right back into the community’s pocket. Supporting local businesses helps the mom and dad who own a business and are about to send their child to college, as well as local schools, public service workers, and more.
How
As a business owner, you can use the day in many ways.
1. Take It to Social Media. Take advantage of the free marketing tools that American Express offers business owners for Small Business Saturday. (Bonus: these materials are offered in Spanish!)
- Make your Facebook and Twitter cover photos a Small Business Saturday countdown
- Post SBS pictures to get customers excited about the big day
- Don’t forget to have your customers “check-in” to your business on SBS to bring extra awareness to their friends and family.
2. Create a Giveaway. Who doesn’t love a giveaway? Tease a highly trafficked product or service several days before Small Business Saturday.
Then, once the day is here, do a drawing that is chosen around closing time. Don’t forget to post pictures!
3. Extend Your Hours. Do you typically close at 5 p.m. (or earlier) on Saturdays? Why not stay open until 6 or 7 to bring more foot traffic to your business?
Small Business Saturday only happens once a year, so make the most of it and make sure to let your customers know your extended hours ahead of time.
4. Celebrate Other Small Businesses! Share their social media content or even invite your customers to go check them out.
Consumers thrive on a sense of community and that’s what Small Business Saturday is all about, right? And who knows, maybe other businesses will return the favor.