For many, the holiday season is what you make it. It’s easy to view family coming in, shopping and cooking massive dinners as stressful, but don’t those wholesome family interactions make your holiday efforts worthwhile? We like to think so. At The Commercial Finance Group, we believe that the holidays are a magical time of year, ripe with many opportunities for small businesses. As a precursor to Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas and more during December, Thanksgiving is a great time to relish the fall season and appreciate the good things in life.
Get The Most Out Of The Upcoming Holiday Season With CFG
Thanksgiving is more than eating copious amounts of turkey, visiting distant relatives and watching football, though. What about getting that last minute haircut before your conservative aunt flies in, or getting your clothes dry cleaned right before a company party? Small businesses deserve time off during the holidays, but this time of year also represents an increase in foot traffic that’s very smart to take advantage of. After all, people need the options to get these kinds of last minute things done before the holidays.
In today’s blog post, your small business lenders and account receivable factoring experts here at The Commercial Finance Group are going to touch on some Thanksgiving-themed promotions and marketing ideas for your small business. To finance your business and get the growth you need to realize your potential as a small business owner, our money factoring and business line of credit services can help you in a way that traditional bank loans just can’t. Learn more about our unique approach to lending by visiting here.
Put The Focus On The Community
If Thanksgiving is all about giving thanks and giving back to others, then reflect that in your business. The reality is that around this time of year, people tend to get so caught up in what’s happening with our own friends and family that it’s easy to overlook the people that need the most help. So, if your small business (assuming that you’re established enough at this point) doesn’t have a local charity partner, consider teaming up with a local organization that relates to your industry, such as a domestic violence shelter if you operate a clothing boutique or a food pantry if you run a cafe.
After you’ve found a local partnership that makes sense, offer a discount when customers bring in items like gently used clothing or nonperishable food items. It’s very important to have strong ties to your local community as a fledgling small business, and customers tend to feel good about patronizing a company that gives back!
Get A Head Start On Black Friday
Before we expand on this point, let us first say that Thanksgiving day itself should be a day of good food, family visitation and giving thanks, not skipping the meal to find amazing deals at nearby stores. There’s nothing with advertising deals prior to Thanksgiving, but these days, many doorbuster sales seem to occur during the primetime of the holiday and that just doesn’t sit well with us.
Anyway, other Black Friday deals occur just after Thanksgiving, but why wait? Instead of competing with everyone else during this stressful shopping holiday, set yourself and your small business apart by offering pre-Thanksgiving deals that are on par with Black Friday discounts. If you run an ecommerce store, think about offering free shipping or checkout discount codes that help you stand out from your competitors.
Welcome Back Your Customers
In the true spirit of reflection and gratitude, take a look at your email lists and reach out to the customers that you haven’t heard from in awhile. Thank them for their business and offer them a discount if they come back and make a purchase during the holiday season. This helps ensure repeat business and also strengthens customer relationships because you’ve taken the time to personally reach out to them.
Put Staff Members In The Spotlight
Even if your small business just consists of a few employees, highlighting a particular staff member helps support a great work culture – especially with millennials. In the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, call out employee contributions that have boosted your brand. Some customers might not care as much, but younger customers tend to experience a type of warm and fuzzy feeling from a business that exhibits a great work culture. By showcasing your incredible employees to customers, you’ll make it easy for them to connect with your brand on an emotional level.
Sponsor A Local Event
There’s no time quite like Thanksgiving and the holidays to bring the community together, and the variety of events you’ll see around this time of year reflect that. If your town or city has an upcoming “turkey trot” race, this is a great charity fun run to draw awareness to a cause and raise money for it. Being involved in events that bring that community together is a great way to attract free media coverage and show that your business cares about local community involvement and working toward positive change.
Gear Up For The Busy Holiday Season With Small Business Lending Solutions
Being prepared for the increase in business is key to taking advantage of this thankful time of year. Leverage these Thanksgiving marketing ideas with a small business line of credit or accounts receivable factoring solutions from our invoice factoring company at The Commercial Finance Group to grow and expand your company. Learn more by getting in touch with our lenders today.
