Small Business Saturday - A winning strategy

What is Small Business Saturday?

Small Business Saturday (SBS) is a marketing initiative started by the credit card company American Express in 2010 to help support their customers running small local bricks and mortar businesses who were all struggling following the 2007/09 recession.

It started in the USA but has now spread to many other countries.

The objective is to encourage local people to shop in person and online with small local businesses. The idea is that supporting these local businesses not only keeps the businesses alive but keeps the communities they serve thriving, as well. 

The initiative has since been rebranded as Shop Small and is supported year round but SBS still exists as a stand-alone campaign each year in the run-up to Christmas. 

Small business Saturday is a great opportunity for you to increase awareness of your practice, build local connections and help shine a light on all of the small businesses that positively impact your local community, as well as helping to boost sales.

This annual event is a great chance for you to piggyback and take advantage of a large well resourced national campaign that will give you more coverage and more traction than if you did it alone.

 

The Date for Your Diary

The date for this event varies from country to country and in some countries between states or regions.

So before you start planning, Google the date for your location and get that date in your diary so you can plan ahead and make the most of your regional or national campaign.

 

GETTING IT WRONG

 

Small Business Saturday is a great opportunity for you BUT it's easy to get it wrong.

Many healthcare practices model their marketing on other local businesses and this is the first mistake practices make.

Healthcare practices operate a slightly different business model from many other local bricks and mortar businesses. Businesses that sell a commodity, a physical product where customers can browse what is for sale often run open days for SBS, inviting their customers to pop in to benefit from a discount, a special offer, or free gift.

That kind of business mostly requires customers to be in their physical space to buy the product, just like you. So the temptation can be to follow and copy how they market, but your business is different.

Your business is mostly selling a service, not a physical product. Your patients come to see you for scheduled appointments structured around their treatment plan, to give them the optimum outcome.

So copying what other local businesses are doing for SBS is not going to be so effective.

 

Why it Doesn't Work . . .  

There is no real reason for them to pop in and see you. Most healthcare practices don't have an extensive range of products or extra fun services that they could buy on the spur of the moment.

Add to which, this is a Saturday, a day when most people already have a busy schedule, and "popping in" will be a real hassle and a long way down their priority list.

So the model of inviting patients to call in for an extra visit for Small Business Saturday doesn't fit with how you normally engage with them and is essentially going to be an inconvenience and unnecessary visit in their eyes.

 In short, this tactic will only have limited results.

 

FLIP IT

 

Shift Your Focus

So instead of targeting your existing or potential patients and trying to entice them to come in for a visit just to say hello, and maybe spend a few extra £'s or $'s with you, I want to suggest that you create a different focus.

To stand out from the crowd and create some real interest, I want to encourage you to focus your attention on your fellow local small business owners.

The ones that are good supporters, potential referrers, or just your immediate neighbours.

Showing your gratitude to them for supporting you or what they do for your local community, is really going to make you stand out.

 

So Much Easier

Using this approach is much simpler, less stressful, and much less time consuming than trying to whip up attention and interest from patients and potential patients for an open day.

Using this method is way less intrusive and puts you in control and not at the mercy of your patient's busy lives.

The execution is super simple:

• You identify 10 local businesses that support you and refer to you (or could)
• You put together some little gift baskets or goody bags (more on this in a minute)
• On Small Business Saturday you drive round and deliver your thank you gifts, surprising your recipients and putting you firmly into the front of their minds.

 

The Small Business Saturday Success Process

1. Selection

Start by identifying 10 local businesses that you would like to say thank you to, shine a light on and build a stronger relationship with.

These do not have to be businesses that you can directly benefit from. You could simply be saying thank you to a business that has had a real positive impact on your local community.

Write meaningful captions for each business in the notes on your phone that you can use for social posts to share on the day.

2. Gifts

Next, put together small gift bags that will both be appreciated and support other local businesses as you buy things to fill them.

For businesses where there is one owner and very few employees, you could include gift cards from local coffee shops or gift shops, shampoo from a local hair salon, snacks from a local health food shop, and anything you can sensibly gift from your own practice.

If it's a business with lots of staff then something like individual cookies or a tray of goodies from a local bakery or fruit from a local greengrocer would work well. 

3. Deliver

The final step of the process is to pack your car with your goodies on Small Business Saturday and head out to deliver them with a big smile, and genuine gratitude for these other small businesses.

At each stop take photographs and share the posts that you have prewritten to shine a light on these wonderful local businesses.

Don't forget to do a shout out to all of the other businesses that also helped you fill your gift bags.

 

 

A FEW SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY TOP TIPS

Make it personal 

For the recipient include a handwritten thank you card specifically to the business owner and their team, explaining why you want to thank them.

On your side include a few business cards in each bag as well as some brand coloured elements like ribbons to make it hang together.

 

Don't overdo it

The idea is not to be ridiculously extravagant but to do something simple that feels special. This could be one cellophane packet with sweets or a cookie for every team member. Or a pretty envelope with a gift card for a free coffee at a local cafe in it.

 

Max out the opportunity

As well as saying thank you to these small businesses, you also want to make the most of the SBS opportunity to promote your practice. So on the day make sure you tell the story on social media tagging businesses and using relevant location and SBS hashtags. Later you can create a blog post to tell the story of the day plus a follow up blog post to share anything that happens afterward.

 

TAKING ACTION

Because it won't happen by its self

Get your Shizzle on

I know you don't need me to tell you this - but I'm going to say it anyway!!!

None of this will happen by magic. You are going to have to get your shizzle together and get into motion.

Step 1 is to lock the correct date into your diary so before you do anything else make sure you have done that. You need time allocated on that day to deliver your thank you gifts.

 

Now you need to get a plan together

 

To help you I have put together a simple guide and checklist to help you prepare well in advance for whenever Small Business Saturday is in your country or region.

CLICK HERE TO RECEIVE YOUR GUIDE & CHECKLIST