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8 Ways to Enjoy the Holidays as a Small Business Owner
The Holidays have looked a little different this year and last year, but with the help of mitigation tools like masks and social distancing and the wide availability of COVID-19 vaccines, things are looking brighter on the horizon. We all remain cautious and put our families, friends, and communities’ safety first, but as the weather cools and the vaccine numbers grow, so does our ability to return to a semblance of normal.
This is perhaps the best news for the small business owner. Small business owners struggled disproportionately during this COVID-19 pandemic. The experts at NASE know the struggles faced by small business owners and can help small businesses slowly transition into the post-pandemic small business world.
The holiday season provides a unique opportunity to celebrate and enjoy your small business while still promoting your product and image. Here are a few tips to help you enjoy your holiday:
1. Decorate Your Social Media
The virtual work has been the survival game for small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The holidays and winter go hand in hand, so adjusting the colors of your social media with reds, greens and blues can bring refreshing, eye-catching imagery to your site. Post pictures, memes, or art relevant to the holiday and bring lighthearted images to your audience.
People associate color with emotion. Adding color to your holiday theme connects with your market audience on an emotional level.
2. Run Paid Ads
Social media advertising does benefit from paid advertising. Specifically, targeted advertising on social media platforms is a worthwhile investment. When creating your social media ads, incorporate the emotional connections of color psychology with your brand and image to reach the market audience relevant to your product and brand. If you have a small business that sells beach apparel, it is not necessarily the best time of year or market to address viewers in cold, landlocked areas.
Your paid advertising can direct people to your online store if you have one or online promotion for your restaurant or other brick-and-mortar establishments. If your business is a physical establishment, then target marketing can be used to advertise to just those people who are within a reasonable driving distance of your business.
3. Decorate Your Business
If you have a physical office, store, or restaurant location, do not overlook the importance of holiday decorating. After spending time in isolation, this holiday season is one to celebrate. The ever-increasing safety expected from the vaccines means people are venturing back to the restaurants, spas, and shops they love. Bring back in-person clientele by sharing this celebration through decorations.
The return to normal will be slow, so be sure to reach out to your clientele with social media or email information on the status of your business, and maybe with some included photos of your beautifully decorated establishment.
4. Run a Holiday or Winter Promotion
Since you are reaching out to people to show off your beautiful online or in-person decorations, a winter or Holiday-themed promotion would be an efficient use of time and marketing funds. Winter means different things to different people. For some, winter means lights and yard work. Other people see winter as a time for outdoor activities such as skiing, sledding or other winter sports. There are many themes that come with the season.
The holidays provide opportunities for cute marketing ideas as well. Winter and the holiday both reflect images of birth and renewal. These themes are relevant this year as the entire world seeks out a renewal and rebirth from our year at home.
5. Target Stimulus or Tax Return
Tax season might be a little different this year. People who might otherwise not have seen a large tax return may have received stimulus payments for themselves or their children. Others will see both stimulus payments and tax returns.
With additional lump sums in their pockets, now is a prime opportunity to solicit customers with alluring deals. Encourage the purchase of gift cards to be used in the future with gift card promotions. This will keep foot traffic to your business and boost your current sales. Gift cards are a great promotional idea right now as we are still in the early stages of reopening.
6. Offer Holiday Baskets
The Holiday basket could be a product you offer, or it could be a gift you offer your clients and customers. Holiday baskets can be adaptable. Perhaps it is a coloring book and crayons provided with a meal at your restaurant, maybe it is a small sample of face cream at your spa, or maybe it is something a little more personal.
Offering indoor gardening baskets may be another marketing opportunity. Whether it includes pots or trowels that are merchandise themed or just a tiny gift of seeds to a loyal customer, growing a plant requires frequent attention. This provides an opportunity to share the joys of the season while also providing a marketable reminder of your own growing business.
7. Offer Family Fun Boxes
A new year marks the beginning of growth and renewal, which means that many families remain at home. If you cannot invite your customers in for in-person craft projects, concerts, or other more traditional promotional ideas, consider putting together Holiday-themed or winter-themed family boxes for people to enjoy at home.
Some restaurants started selling family meals for people to take home and cook. Offering a holiday promotion on a family meal is another opportunity to have fun with this season.
8. Consider a Donation
While this might sound counterintuitive to the idea of making money, a donation is a way to enjoy the holiday. The community and customers support the small business. In return, the small business supports the community. Many small businesses support the community in the business-need that they fulfill. Still, if you are fortunate enough to be financially capable of giving to a local charity or local family in need, this is good for you and your business.
Be sure to let the local media report any donations and be open about the charity of your choice. If a local family lost everything in a fire, donate to the cost of repairs or replacing items. Local boy scouts, girl scouts, and 4-H clubs are also worthy charity investments. Some communities need help supporting shelters or food pantries. Supporting the community helps keep your community healthy, helping keep the environment where you do business healthy. Giving back helps you feel good, makes a positive impact by your company on your community, and keeps customers returning to a business they know they can trust and support.
To learn more about enjoying and celebrating the holidays with your small business, contact customer service at the NASE, (800) 649-6273. Our experts will be happy to answer any questions you have.