Don’t look now, but Small Business Saturday is sneaking up on you! The small business answer to Black Friday and Cyber Monday falls on Nov. 30 this year, which means you have a bit over a month to get your plans down pat.
We recently shared some small business marketing tips for SBS. This week, we’re taking our Small Business Saturday series a bit further and showing you how to set up your store for success.
If you’re looking to woo your customers and rake in their holiday shopping dollars, here’s what you need to do!
Spruce Up Your Shop
As a proud small business owner, you take pride in the cleanliness of your store. You sweep every night, make sure the counters are always wiped down and wash the windows as needed – most of the time, at least. But when was the last time you did a deep clean?
Look at your surroundings with fresh eyes. What do you see? Are your shelves cluttered? Are your rugs worn? Is it time to finally evict the spider you’ve affectionately named Fred from the corner of the second bathroom stall.
Shoppers will soon begin descending on your store. Between Thanksgiving week and Christmas Eve, your “spare minutes” will be few and far between. Take advantage of the time you have now and make sure you kick off the holiday shopping season with a sparkling clean shop!
Prep Your Staff
Getting through Small Business Saturday (and the busy season that follows) will take a team effort. Now is the time to get everyone on the same page. Be sure your staff knows exactly what you expect of them.
Can you cross-train team members to perform multiple tasks? Do you need to hire additional people for the season? Are you expecting staff to come in early or stay late due to extended shopping hours?
The more prepared your staff is, the smoother Small Business Saturday will go for everyone, customers included – and when shoppers experience stellar customer service, they’re likely to make your store one of their regular stops all year long.
Keep Customer Convenience in Mind
Small Business Saturday doesn’t traditionally have the knock-down, drag-out urgency of Black Friday. (Hopefully, nobody will brawl over a $20 Blu-Ray player or trample your staff in an effort to get to the last “must have” toy of the season.) Still, chances are you’re not the only stop on your customer’s agenda. The goal, then, is to streamline their shopping experience and get them in and out with the least hassle possible.
Convenience is the order of the day. Can you keep all of your doorbuster deals in one central location, ensuring no one needs to hunt and peck through the entire store to find what they’re looking for? Will you offer to hold their purchases until the end of the day so they’re not lugging shopping bags all over town? Is it possible to set up additional registers or provide employees with handheld card readers to cut down on the time they spend waiting in line?
We’re not advising you to rush people out of your store as soon as you’ve taken their money. But we are suggesting you make it easy for those on a time crunch to stick to their tight schedule!
Make It Festive
Small Business Saturday is your chance to kick off the holiday season, so do it in style. A cheery, festive atmosphere can be a welcome relief for tired, stressed-out shoppers who started chasing deals before the turkey was cold Thursday night.
Plan events throughout the day to draw people in off the streets. Invite your customers to help you trim your tree at 10 a.m., decorate cookies at noon, take pictures of their kids (or pets) with Santa at 2 p.m., and enjoy complimentary wine and hors d’oeuvres at 4 p.m. Make your business a place for a little fun and respite from the normal throughout the day.
Even little touches, such as a holiday window scene, free gift wrapping with a purchase or Christmas music wafting out the door, can bring people in – regardless of whether they had planned to stop or not!
Get Ready for Small Business Saturday
The holiday season will be here before you know it, so don’t wait to make your plans. With a bit of preparation and a dash of holiday magic, this has the potential to be your biggest season yet!
Whether you’re scrambling to get ready for Small Business Saturday or already looking ahead to 2020, Mischa Communications is here for all your small business marketing needs. Let us know where you want to go and we’ll help you get there!