5 Ways Entrepreneurs Can Make The Most Of Small Businesses Saturday

Every entrepreneur aims to create a business that attracts consumers to their product and service and makes them a profit. Taking advantage of annual events like Small Business Saturday can help provide a boon to entrepreneurs who need cash flow.

Small Business Saturday was an event created by the financial company American Express. It is scheduled for the Saturday after Thanksgiving each year.

There are five ways entrepreneurs can make small business Saturday profitable additions to the marketing calendar this year and every year.

Prepare A Marketing Strategy for Small Business Saturday

Hope is not a solid marketing plan. Wishing that consumers will recognize the day and deliberately direct their dollars to your business is unlikely. You must stand out above your competitors in the crowded small business environment.

Create a marketing strategy that includes who you will target in advance of Small Business Saturday. Perhaps you can run an email campaign targeted at customers who have purchased in the past but have not purchased again in the last six or 12 months.

Create an outreach strategy focusing on hitting those customers in multiple ways as Small Business Saturday approaches.

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Don’t Wait Until The Last Day

Avoid trying to reach out to your customers so close to small business Saturday that they already have plans and will not be able to purchase from your business. If you own a used car dealership, it’s probably best to start on your marketing 2-3 weeks before small business Saturday so you can set the expectation that you have something special coming.

Reaching out to your customers before Small Business Saturday will allow them to schedule around your event or promotion. If your business isn’t an impulse-buy type of business, then customers will need to think about how they want to plan their schedule, and you want their plan to include you.

Leverage Social Media

You should be priming the pump in the build-up to Small Business Saturday. That means you should create a series of valuable videos, posts, and emails that directly relate to the product or service you will offer at a sale or discount on Small Business Friday.

Building anticipation as we approach Small Business Saturday will bring excitement to what you are offering to the marketplace, and people will inevitably tell other people. When people are excited, they talk to other people, and as Small Business Saturday approaches, you want the people who follow you to be a marketing multiplier.

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Recognize the Statistics

When consumers are spending at an immense clip, it is best to get a piece of the action, and statistics show that consumers like to spend on small business Saturdays. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Americans spent $17 billion on small business Saturday in 2023

The chamber also states that “small business Saturday is observed in all 50 states.” That means that the opportunity to get involved is open to all American small business owners. According to American Express, which created Small Business Saturday, 59% of consumers are aware that it exists.

Make A Valuable Offer

One of the best ways to take advantage of Small Business Saturday is to create an offer that conveys value. By bundling different programs and services or products together, entrepreneurs can give their customers a complete experience and also give them examples of services or products they might not otherwise buy.

There is a caution here: Make sure you know your numbers. If you offer a product, ensure you know your cost and what happens to your margins when you discount or bundle a product with another one. If you discount a service, ensure that your margins remain intact even with the discount.

Another option when creating a special offer for small businesses on Saturday is to create a breakeven price with the goal of upgrading customers to other products or services.

Small Business Saturday is an opportunity to win back former customers, gain new customers, and get referrals for future customers. Try to set revenue and client acquisition goals for Small Business Saturday so you can look back and have another game plan for next year.