Small Business Saturday – kickoff the holiday shopping season right

Small Business Saturday is this weekend.  Now is the time to put the finishing touches on your campaign for the weekend.  Send out a reminder to your loyal customers in your email newsletter list and remind them to come by and shop local this weekend. 

Now is also the time to plan for your follow-up holiday campaign.  Make sure to capture email addresses from new customers in your store this weekend so you can send them special offers throughout the holiday season.  If you have a blog or are active on social media, get ready for your post-event posts.  Thank your customers for their business this weekend, announce winners of any giveaways, and invite your followers to stop by during the holidays for more special events and offers.

What I like most about Small Business Saturday is that it creates awareness and momentum for shopping small.  And, even more so, it reminds us as small business marketers to build our campaigns and enthusiasm now so we make the most of the holiday shopping season.

Will you be shopping local this holiday weekend?

I love the 4th of July, but I also find myself feeling a little melancholy this weekend.  As you know from my previous posts, I was raised in a small business family.  The 4th of July was a big event weekend in my hometown.  Every year, we would make a float to include in the town parade.  After weeks of stuffing napkins into chicken wire, the entire family would end up riding on the float dressed up according to the parade theme.  I have to admit I’m still trying to block the memories of the year we road down mainstreet dressed up as flowers as I sported a cardboard cutout daisy around my face.   But supporting the local celebration was important to my mom as a member of the small business community.  And every year we were right back out there on the parade route again with mom.

This weekend, I’ll be headed with my family to downtown Huntington Beach to see the parade and support our local businesses.   I hope you all join me in shopping local this holiday weekend!