Plan Ahead: Nov. 24 is Small Business Saturday

It’s an entire day dedicated to shopping small. What began just seven years ago has grown into a nationally-recognized shopping holiday that promotes community, economy and genuine good will. And once the holiday spirit starts to shift from turkey to trees, your business needs to be poised to take advantage of the shopping-frenzied weekend.

Plan ahead with these smart business strategies from Town and Country Bank and Peoples Prosperity Bank:

1. Get in the spirit. Decorate your store and website. Offer free cookies and coffee. Consider gift wrapping purchases. It’s a small investment that could lead to a big payoff.
2. Make it easy. Extend store hours the month of December. Allow free shipping for a limited time, and ensure your return policy is reasonable.
3. Target your marketing. Contact regular customers by phone or via an email campaign. Create special offers and include a link to your website. Design simple fliers to hand out to customers. Ensure social media is part of your outreach. Consider clearance sales to cut back on excess inventory. Make stocking stuffers available at the point of sale.
4. Prepare your team. Organize a staff meeting focused on customer service and fraud prevention. Make the session fun with ideas for handling difficult customers and exceeding customer expectations.
5. Partner up. There is strength in numbers. Contact other small businesses in your area and brainstorm ideas on how to maximize the local shopping experience. Consider a joint shopping map, a universal coupon or promoting each other’s merchandise in stores.

At Town and Country, we’re dedicated to helping small businesses succeed. To learn more about our Solution 300 checking, treasury management products and services that can improve cash flow and business efficiency, visit TownandCountryBank.com or PeoplesProsperityBank.com.