Promote Your Company on Small Business Saturday

Small businesses can take a lesson from Black Friday to promote their services on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

Small Business Saturday, which was founded by American Express in 2010, will be November 30. It’s the perfect opportunity for small businesses to compete with the bigger companies that advertise their wares on Black Friday. Although post-Thanksgiving promotions usually focus on retail shops, Small Business Saturday also relates to contractors that offer cleaning and maintenance services. With the right advertising, these businesses can profit at the end of the year since many people are seeking to prepare their homes and facilities for the upcoming winter holidays.

The Barnestable Patriot offers several tips to help small businesses prepare for Saturday:

• Update your social media profiles to make sure your address and contact information is correct. Advertise special promotions for Saturday and be sure to use specific hashtags, such as #SmallBizSat.
• Give people a reason to contact your business on Saturday, such as raffles for products and service discounts.
• Combine your promotion with a local charity. For instance, offer to donate a percentage of your profits from Saturday to a local humane society, food bank, or veterans’ group.
• Promote your services as a thoughtful gift. For instance, consumers may want to give their family and friends the gift of monthly housecleaning or lawn service, so offer gift cards or gift certificates.
• Offer a discount for customers who schedule an appointment on Small Business Saturday for a service in the future.
• Offer current customers a discount, gift, or free service if they renew their contract on Small Business Saturday.