Are you participating in Small Business Saturday—or better yet—Small Business Season, where you encourage people to shop small throughout the holiday and not just on the day after Black Friday? If so, you might be scrambling right now trying to put together last-minute touches on what you hope will be a hot time of year for your business.
 
If you’re wondering how you should spend your hours leading up to Small Business Saturday and what you need for the biggest shopping season of the year, we have a checklist to help.
 
Small Business Season Checklist 
​Here are the things you should have (or do) for your small business going into this busy holiday season:
 

• An offer. This is the first thing you’ll notice about any Black Friday ad. You don’t need a loss leader to get people in the door like the box stores use. It could be something small, or needed, like free gift wrapping, “special discounts” or a bonus surprise. Providing a discount offer appeals to the frugal among us but any bonus makes a customer feel special.
• Beautiful décor visible from the sidewalk or street. Curb appeal brings people in even when they know very little about your business.
• Space. Being in a cluttered business makes some people feel claustrophobic, especially when you add in a lot of shoppers. Clear things out so customers will linger and buy more. A clear space also makes it easier for people to find what they’re looking for. Cluttered spaces are overwhelming. If clutter is not a concern, make sure your hottest items are clearly visible.
• Good signage. Ever walk past a business and wonder if they’re open? That’s never good for sales. Make sure your signage is clear when it comes to your hours, whether you’re open, and what you sell. If your city allows it, you may want to consider a sandwich board or salesperson outside for greater clarity.
• Staff. If you’re increasing your marketing, you’ll likely bring in more customers as well. Make sure you have enough staff to give customers a great experience. It’s easy to send employees home if they’re unneeded. It’s much harder to bring them in when there’s a crowd.
• Website. Don’t forget your website. Some people will choose to shop online on Small Business Saturday and throughout the Small Business Season. Make sure they can find what they need. Your website (and social media profiles) is also the perfect place to post availability updates on items that sell out quickly.
• A social media posting strategy. If you are posting to social media for business purposes, you should have a strategy and a schedule. Look at your most popular posts from the past. What gets the most engagement? What type of media? Consider incorporating video if you haven’t done so already. Video can bring a lot of excitement to your business, especially when you stream live events. Speaking of…
• An Event. In-person shoppers love the experience. You can cater to that by creating a special event for them. This could be a contest, a class, a station for kids to play while their adult shops, or even a visit from the big guy himself—Santa.
• Return visit discounts. It’s easier to sell to someone who has already purchased from you. If you want to move beyond Small Business Saturday into Small Business Season, giving customers a coupon to be used on a future purchase is a good way to do this.
• Chamber awareness. Make sure you’re plugged into the festivities your chamber is hosting. They have a large, well-respected voice and can help you bring in even more customers this season.

 
 
Christina R. Metcalf (formerly Green) is a marketer who enjoys using the power of story and refuses to believe meaningful copy can be written by bots. She helps chamber and small business professionals find the right words when they don’t have the time or interest to do so. 
Christina hates exclamation points and loves road trips. Say hi on Twitter or reach out on Facebook.
 
 

​Some people think chamber membership is outdated, like it's something their grandparents used to do. Maybe you and your friends even feel that way. You might think that you can do all the networking you need to do online. You may even have hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers and figure chamber membership is the last thing you need for your career or for your business.
 
But chamber membership is one of the strongest Investments you can make in your future and it's also one of the least expensive with the best reputation and return on investment.
 
No, it’s not your grandpa's chamber but membership can be essential to your personal and business growth for about what you pay for a cup of coffee every day.
 
Here's a glimpse of the amazing payoffs you can expect from chamber membership:
Enjoy Amazing Experiences and Make Things HappenBy getting involved with the chamber you'll meet people nearby in every stage of their careers. You can find a mentor and be one if you'd like. You can attend professionals events and possibly have a hand in the economic development of your community.
 
Have you traveled recently to another city and witnessed something really cool in their community? Did you wish your town had the same thing? It won't happen with wishes alone. You need to align yourself with a group that has the power to make things happen. The chamber is well-connected and can help bring your ideas to fruition.
 
Develop PartnershipsToday's businesses use all sorts of influencer marketing and other non-traditional partnerships that help market products and help them grow. Being a member of the chamber can help you meet business professionals who can take your business to the next level.
 
Don't have your own business?
 
The chamber is also an excellent way to network for career advancement and hear about positions that are open before they hit the internet giving you a jump on the application process.
 
Chamber members are also helpful in assisting you to start your own business. They can give you advice on things to avoid as well as government policies and best practices you should be following. When starting a business you need a lot more expertise than what’s found in a YouTube video. With chamber membership, you can connect with people who have “been there and done that”, sometimes multiple times successfully and some not so successfully.
 
Find Your TribeAs you become more established in your career, you may notice that some of your earlier friends from school begin to drift away. You may also notice that making new friends is more difficult now that you're out of school. The chamber is another way that you can meet like-minded professionals outside of work. 
 
Establish a ReputationIf you're just starting your business--or you operate a business online--you may quickly realize the hesitancy some people have in ordering from someone they know nothing about. If you sell on the internet, there can be even more of a hesitation because no one wants to hand over their credit card information to an entity they're not sure will be around to deliver. Joining the chamber can lend legitimacy to your business while you create a reputation for yourself.
 
Get Free LearningSure, you can learn a lot from YouTube. But there are some professional skills and topics that you just want to hear an expert in the industry talk about. The problem with that is that it costs a lot of money to attend these experts sessions. If you're just starting out, you likely don't have that kind of money in your budget or if you do it's often allocated to something you'll see a more immediate return on like marketing or advertising.
 
One of the chamber’s  best kept secrets is that they offer sessions on topics that are important to professionals. Most of them are free to members. Some may have a small cost for lunch or breakfast. And unlike a YouTube video, these sessions allow you to interact with the speakers. Sometimes that interaction can be the beginning of a business friendship.
 
If you are a young professional who is eager to succeed in your company or business, consider a chamber membership. It's one of the best ways to grow your network and one of the least expensive. The return on investment and the experiences you'll receive as a chamber member far outweigh the minimum cost of membership.
 
It's possible to grow your business without it, but think of chamber membership as a FastPass to business success. Membership can help you get to the front of the line a whole lot faster than standing around with the rest of your peers watching videos.
 
 
 
Christina R. Metcalf (formerly Green) is a marketer who enjoys using the power of story and refuses to believe meaningful copy can be written by bots. She helps chamber and small business professionals find the right words when they don’t have the time or interest to do so.
Christina hates exclamation points and loves road trips. Say hi on Twitter or reach out on Facebook.
 
 

​One way to bring shoppers into your business over the holiday season is by offering deals. That’s how the big box stores work. They bring in customers through loss leaders. While you might not be in a situation to offer products at cost, you can offer deals to bring the crowds in. This year especially, shoppers will be looking for bargains and they may not always think of small businesses as places to find them.
 
Here are a few ideas to help change their minds:
 
Small Business Season Deal IdeasOffering a discount can be tricky for a small business. You want to ensure your discount is driving enough sales that you’re not undercutting profit.
 
Discount Codes or CouponsAccording to Statista, 93% of shoppers use a coupon, so offering discount codes/coupons is a good way to lure buyers in. You can offer a discount to some customers, but not all, if you use a coupon rather than a store-wide discount.
 
You can also target certain audiences for their loyalty or following such as sending out a mailer or email to past customers, posting a flash discount on social media (good for a very limited time), or offering it to a specific group of people such as chamber members.
 
Do you remember the idea the CEO of JCPenney’s had of offering the best pricing all the time, no coupons, no discounts? It failed miserably. There’s something motivating in the sales psychology of getting a coupon or extended offer. It makes a customer feel like they have the winning ticket, and many are inspired to buy because of it.
 
Two-fers: more is more to most buyersAnother popular deal strategy is offering discounts for larger quantities. Most people will find it much more appealing to get more of an item than buying a single item at a discount. For instance, a 50% increase in quantity (getting more) is the same as offering a 33% discount, but the latter is not nearly as appealing.
 
Discounts for the Appropriate Buying StageOffering discounts for online shoppers who are new to your site is a solid strategy but only when used optimally. How many times have you been on a new site and before you can tell whether you want to buy or not, a pop-up fills your screen offering a discount for that day’s purchase? Discounts drive sales and make customers feel great about their purchase but this type of use is like asking for a marriage commitment on a first date.
 
Instead, ask them to join your mailing list for a discount when they’re ready to buy. This benefits you in two ways. You’re incentivizing them to purchase when they’re ready and you’ve enticed them into providing you with a way to contact them in the future. If you promise to respect their privacy, they’ll likely sign up. Discounts are the top reason people subscribe. Plus, a past customer is always easier to sell to than a new one. According to HubSpot, you’re 60-70% more likely to sell to one you’ve sold to before. A new customer also costs you more, between 5-25% more to acquire.
 
Loyalty Discounts and ClubsOne complaint about cable and cell phone companies is that the best deals are saved for new subscribers. Yet, even these businesses are slowly changing their tunes and beginning to offer deals to loyal customers. You can too.
 
Loyalty clubs can take many forms such as punch cards, point programs, or special thank you discounts. Some loyalty benefits are one-offs like a coupon for a “Customer Appreciation Event” or—in the case of loyalty clubs—cumulative (the more they spend and the more frequently they buy from you, the more they are rewarded). Loyalty programs make people feel valued and special. You are thanking them for your success and inviting them back.
 
Pay Up FrontsDepending on your business, you may also find “pay up front” deals very appealing. With these programs, you offer discounts to customers who buy in bulk ahead of services or products offered. You can use this as part of a gift card offer (buy $100 gift card, get an additional $10, for instance) or—if you offer services—charge a flat fee for unlimited use (such as $60 a month for unlimited classes). This helps you bring in revenue today for products or services claimed tomorrow. Since you’re getting the money up front, you pass a small discount or bonus along to them in return.
 
The shop small season is a great time to bring in customers with deals and discounts. If you decide to implement any of these, make sure you market them accordingly. They won’t work if no one knows about them. As you market, don’t forget to tell your chamber, visitors bureau, and your city. Those groups can help ensure the message (and “sales incentivizers”) become part of their shop small messaging too for even greater reach.
 
 
 
Christina R. Metcalf (formerly Green) is a marketer who enjoys using the power of story and refuses to believe meaningful copy can be written by bots. She helps chamber and small business professionals find the right words when they don’t have the time or interest to do so. 
Christina hates exclamation points and loves road trips. Say hi on Twitter or reach out on Facebook.