Thanksgiving is practically here, and ‘tis the season for showing generosity and gratitude. As the holidays are quickly approaching, it’s the best time to take a step back and reflect on all the things you are grateful for, and your small business should be one of them! There are many ways that you yourself can show thanks to your family, friends, or anyone that you know, but did you know that your small business could also show thanks this holiday season? Whether it is reaching out to your customers or working with a local charity, there are many ways that you can get your business involved with this season of giving:
- Support a local charity
Try to find a local charity partner or organization to team up with. If you can find a charity that aligns with your business, that’s great! If not, you can pick a charity that might align with the interests of your customers. In addition, you can offer discounts to your customers if they bring in lightly used clothing items or nonperishable items to donate.
- Customer appreciation
Try to show your customers all of your appreciation for them. Whether it is reaching out through email, writing a thank you card, or giving them a coupon or small gift, let your customers know you appreciate their decision to purchase your product or service. This little step can go a long way and can let your customers know that they really matter to you.
- Offer special discounts
Reward your most loyal customers by offering them special discounts like buy one get one free or even offer a customer loyalty program so they can get exclusive offers. Not only do loyalty programs help to retain current customers, they can also be helpful in attracting new ones as well.
- Celebrate Small Business Saturday
The Saturday following Thanksgiving is Small Business Saturday, a day to honor and support small businesses in your community! Celebrate this day and show your support by hanging Shop Small posters in your store or posting on social media. You can also try mentioning and promoting other small businesses on your social media as well. If you support other small businesses, there’s a good chance they will return the favor!
Staying connected to your community is so important for any small business, and written above are just some of the ways to do this. By reaching out to your customers or supporting other businesses or charities in the area, it allows others to see that your small business really cares. Start the season off right and remember to give thanks to all that matters. Have a happy Thanksgiving!!
Victoria R. McCormack
SBDC Intern
The University of Scranton
Small Business Development Center
#thanksgiving #giving #sbdc #scranton #nepa #financing
