Small Business Saturday is on Nov 28th this year, which means there are only 17 days left to plan! We put together some ideas to help you have a successful and fun Small Business Saturday. This list is similar to our one last year, but with a couple more ideas and a few tweaks with Covid in mind. Remember, during this season it is important to engage with your customers especially online to let them know what you have to offer them. 

 1. Create a Gift Guide for your Customers 

Let your customers know all of the amazing products or services that you have to offer and which ones would be great for their mom, sister, daughter, grandmother, father, son, brother, husband, even neighbor! Your customers might not know what you have available so show them!! If you don’t have all these things add other shops around you that do!

2. Sell Online

With Covid it’s just not safe for ALL people to go out and shop. If you have the option for customers to shop online PROMOTE IT! Let them know how easy it is to shop with you from their home. If you don’t have a online shop consider doing facebook livestream shopping events or putting items for sale on your Facebook and taking payment through PayPal or venmo.

3. Host a Small Event (In-store or Online)

You could have local entertainment playing outside, activities for families, wine and shop for the ladies, online vendor event with other fellow business owners, the list could go on and on. 

4. Have a Holiday Display for Photo Ops for their Holiday Cards.

Make your business part of your customer’s holiday traditions! Make sure to post about it on social media so people know to go to you for it. You can have a photographer or just let them take the photo themselves.

5. Non-product based businesses! You can celebrate Small Business Saturday too!

If you have a brick and mortar by local shops you can put out promotional material with your business info on it like water bottles, masks, or hand sanitizer for the shoppers! If you don’t have a brick and mortar in those areas or at all, ask a local shop if you could provide those things inside their store their shoppers!

6. Support a Local Charity

On Saturday have a portion of your sales go to a LOCAL charity!! 
Here are some local Charities in The Woodlands (there are so many more - do some research to find one that best fits your beliefs!!)

CASA Child Advocates of Montgomery County:
https://casaspeaks4kids.com/

Cassidy Joined for Hope:

https://www.cassidyjoinedforhope.com/

Inspiration Ranch:
https://www.inspirationranch.org/
The Montgomery County Food Bank:
https://mcfoodbank.org/
New Danville:
http://www.newdanville.org/about/
Operation Pets Alive!:
https://www.facebook.com/pg/OPATexas/about/?ref=page_internal
Children's Safe Harbor:
https://childrenssafeharbor.org/
Yes To Youth:
https://www.sayyestoyouth.org/
iGo Pink:
https://thebreastcancercharities.org/
Interfaith of The Woodlands:
https://woodlandsinterfaith.org/
Special Angels of The Woodlands: 
https://www.specialangelsofthewoodlands.org/

7.Collaborate with Other Small Businesses

Help one another with promotions by passing out each other’s coupons or business info to your customers or sharing about each other online. People always like recommendations on where else they can SHOP LOCAL! If you’re looking for Small Businesses to collaborate with our www.ShopaSmallBusiness.com is a great source!

8. Register with American Express

American Express has free material you can use for Small Business Saturday, such as, posters, social media posts, and more ideas to help you make the best of your Small Business Saturday.
https://www.americanexpress.com/us/merchant/shop-small.html#toolkit?linknav=us-loy-homepage-visittheshopsmallstudio

9. Reward Check-Ins or Social Media Shares

Give coupons, discounts, or a small (free sample size) gifts to people that share your business on social media or that “Check-In” on social media while at your store. Have a little basket full of goodies with a sign that says “FREE - just please “Check-In” on Social Media to let everyone you’re here and to SHOP SMALL TODAY!”  The influence of friends is a big deal when it comes to marketing! 

10. Make a Countdown on Social Media and Utilize your platforms as much as possible!

With so much competition during the Holidays remind your costumers you are still here! You can also use the countdown as a way to promote any promotions or sales you will be having on or leading up to Small Business Saturday too.

11. Spotlight a Loyal Client/Customer, Another Small Business, or a Charity

If you spotlight one of your customers they will share that post with their friends, same with another small business. Those are more eyes seeing what you have to offer them for the Holidays!

12. Don’t let Small Business Saturday Sneak Up on You NEXT YEAR!

Plan ahead and even set a reminder on your phone to start your planning on how you to celebrate SBS! Research if there are festivals you could be a part of next year - Check them out this year to see how well it is attended in the past. Also, see if there are local Holiday activities in the area that you could contribute to! Example: If you are a baker see if you could donate cookies for a meet and greet with Santa - imagine all of those people being able to sample your work! 

We hope this helps you prepare for Small Business Saturday!! Add a comment below if these tips did help you out or let us know what your Small Business Saturday plans are!

Good Luck and we will see you out there or online!