6 Ways to Drum Up Business on Small Business Saturday

It's worth making the effort.

It's been a tough year for small businesses. Inflation has driven the cost of inventory and labor upward. And while larger companies have more resources to absorb those higher costs, many small businesses have struggled in their wake.

That's why this year's Small Business Saturday may be your most important one yet. The Saturday after Thanksgiving is a popular time for consumers to rally and support the local establishments in their communities. And it's a day when your goal should be to enjoy as much foot traffic as possible. Here are some steps you can take to boost sales on Small Business Saturday -- and help ensure that consumers are quick to swipe their credit cards.

1. Run some creative promotions

During this time of the year, it's common to see businesses of all sizes run sales in conjunction with the holiday shopping boom. But you may want to go beyond that to boost traffic on Small Business Saturday. That could mean getting creative and coming up with fun contests and giveaways for customers to enjoy.

2. Get active on social media

You may not spend much time on social media. But with Small Business Saturday right around the corner, now's your opportunity to promote your business and try to build up more of an online presence. And if that's something you don't feel you're capable of doing, outsource it to a freelancer.

3. Partner with other local businesses to talk each other up

Sometimes, all it takes is word of mouth advertising to boost your business. In the coming week or so, ask other local establishments to talk up your business and pledge to do the same for them.

4. Offer cross promotions with local businesses

Maybe you run a coffee shop and there's a small bookstore down the block. That gives you a prime opportunity to run a cross promotion for Small Business Saturday -- say, where you give out discounted coffee to customers who make a book purchase first. Cross promotions are a great way for you to support your fellow small business owners and vice versa.

5. Throw a party

People like feeling festive. This Small Business Saturday, don't just run sales and promotions -- throw a party. Offer up perks like free food and beverages to get more people in the door, and play some music while you're at it (as long as doing so doesn't violate any local statutes).

6. Appeal to your most loyal customers

You may have customers who are signed up for your business's rewards program, or who are on your mailing list. Now's the time to reach out and ask for their support during the holidays. It wouldn't hurt to talk about the different ways your business likes to give back to the community -- and explain that you can't do that without your most loyal customers.

The revenue you generate on Small Business Saturday could really help you close out 2022 in a better place financially. Make these moves to drum up extra business on Small Business Saturday -- and encourage customers to shop locally at a time when that's so important.