This Saturday, November 27th, 2023, is Small Business Saturday. A record $19.8 billion was spent on Small Business Saturday (SBS) in 2022, according to American Express.
More than half of those surveyed said they planned to support local businesses and shops recommended on social media on Small Business Saturday, 2022, November 28. On this day, 56% of consumers shopped online, up from 43% in 2012. 56% of these purchases were made at a small business.
The economic impact of Small Business Saturday is substantial for organisations of all sizes in the United States. Find out what it is and how to implement it into your online shop.
Why is Small Business Saturday important?
Small Business Saturday is a national shopping holiday. In the US, SBS happens on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are the first days of the holiday shopping season on SBS. Businesses often offer discounts and other perks to customers in order to get them to buy more. Shop Small is a worldwide movement to support small businesses and bring attention to the unique and valuable things they do for their communities and economies.
In 2010, American Express made the first Small Business Saturday. Since then, SBS has grown into a movement called Shop Small®. The goal of the Shop Small movement is to get people to support local businesses and communities all year long.
Thanksgiving is on November 25th this year. So, Small Business Saturday will be on November 27, 2023. Here’s a list of these events and holidays and when they happen:
Small businesses can take advantage of Small Business Saturday. But they aren’t the only ones who can join in. The great thing about SBS is that everyone can be a part of it, including consumers, communities, businesses, and government officials.
Why SBS is Important for Online Companies
Small Business Saturday is a big holiday that reminds people how important it is to shop at local small businesses instead of big-box stores. Small businesses can get customers by getting listed in the Small Business Directory before the holiday, making special offers, and advertising. Customers from these towns and neighbourhoods want to keep spending money at these businesses for a long time.
The covid-19 virus has also caused people of all ages and backgrounds to buy more things online. As small businesses get ready for the coming holiday season, business owners should keep a few things in mind. This includes how to make sure shoppers are safe in the store and how to handle the growing number of people who want to shop online. Even though this year’s holiday season is full of unknowns, one thing is for sure: more people will shop online.
Tips for Your Online Business to Sell on SBS
Small businesses should pay close attention to their customers’ entire online experiences and use SBS for online stores.
Sell close to home online
In order to stay safe during the pandemic, more and more people are choosing to shop online at small local businesses. With apps and websites that support “Sell Locally,” you can get your online store to take part in SBS. Or, if you want to sell some extra office supplies or inventory quickly, you probably don’t need anything else besides a smartphone.
People can go straight to Facebook Marketplace from their Facebook homepage. In this section, it’s easy to see what’s selling in the area.
- Customers can easily see information about the products, and there are many different kinds of products. Facebook has also teamed up with popular marketplaces like Shopify to help people buy things online through the platform.
- Craigslist is now the place where many people and even some brands go to sell things online. People who want to sell locally and trade face-to-face now have a good option. Also, some people can buy cheap and sell expensive on Craigslist, which is a way to make money through market arbitrage.
- Nextdoor’s main purpose is to help neighbours get to know each other. Imagine a site like Facebook where your newsfeed is full of people who live near you instead of your friends and family. Because sellers have to sign up for an account on Nextdoor, it is thought to be more reliable than Craigslist. There is no set fee or commission, but you decide how much to charge for shipping.
“Pop-up Shop”
Pop-up shops started as a way to use empty storefronts. They are becoming more and more popular because they are a smart way to try out new markets, compare different locations, and raise brand awareness. They are also less expensive and risky than traditional stores.
Pop-up stores are also a great way for new digital local brands to get a feel for the real world. A pop-up store is a great way to meet existing customers where they live and introduce your brand to new shoppers. It’s a simple way to get people to buy without having to spend more money on getting online customers.
For example, if you own an online boutique and want to meet your customers face-to-face on SBS, many small businesses will see you as an added value. Such as salons, spas, gift shops, home decor shops, or maybe you know another home-based online or professional business with which you can share a space to make a pop-up shop.
This holiday season, social media recommendations are even more important for small businesses because so many people are shopping online. You should start publishing and promoting your Small Business Saturday campaign a few weeks in advance. You should also let your online followers know about your plans for local events and how they can get involved.
Here are two suggestions:
- Like and share other SBS posts on social media to let people in your town know what’s going on.
- Make sure to use theme tags like #smallbusinesssaturday and #shopsmall to connect with the wider Shop Small community.
Small businesses can use free materials from American Express during Small Business Saturday and the rest of the year, like in-store signs, social media posts, and email templates.
Improve your relationships with customers.
Holidays for shopping, like Black Friday and Small Business Saturday, are great times to connect with new customers and get to know your current ones better. The best way to get new customers and make them happy is to give great customer service. During the holidays, you can offer special services like gift wrapping, and you can make sure that you or your staff are ready to answer customers’ questions.
It’s better to have a FAQ page on your website so that customers can find contact information quickly. And it’s a good idea to thank repeat customers for their continued business by giving them coupons that are only good for them.
To build relationships with new customers, you may need to:
- Make sure to find a way to keep in touch with any new customers you get during the holidays.
- Add a pop-up contact form to your website to get new customers’ contact information.
- Share your social media feed all the time and ask new customers to follow you so you can keep in touch.
Last Word
Getting ready for a successful Small Business Saturday is not easy. But it is well worth it in terms of sales made, customers won for life, and benefits to the local economy.
Even though it takes a lot of work, Small Business Saturday can be good for your business if you go to events, work with other small businesses, get your business ready, and promote the holiday and sales.
