A Short Guide to Small Business Saturday

For many businesses, particularly those in the retail industry, November is fast becoming synonymous with one of the biggest shopping days in the year: Black Friday. It’s a fantastic opportunity to kick off Christmas campaigns, or promote brand new products and limited time offers. However, in all the marketing and hype around Black Friday, it can often feel like small businesses struggle to find their own space amongst the bigger players. Enter Small Business Saturday:

Small business Saturday was created in the US in 2010, as a way for small businesses to promote themselves within their local communities. From retailers to restaurants, manufacturers to service providers, the goal was to demonstrate just how much innovation, creativity and business potential there is right on consumers’ doorsteps. Unsurprisingly, the campaign proved to be a huge success and was swiftly expanded to include the UK, where it’s now in it’s 9th year. This year’s Small Business Saturday is on December 4th and looks set to be one of the biggest yet!

Getting involved as a small business really couldn’t be easier. First and foremost, there’s the official Small Business Saturday website, where you can register for free on their small business finder, download marketing resources and connect with them on social media for added visibility in the run up to December 4th. The site also offers resources for customers and local authorities who are looking to help small businesses take advantage of the day, making it a fantastic first port of call for just about anyone looking to get involved in this year’s event.

Even if you’re not planning to register on the website, that doesn’t mean your business can’t participate. Simply by joining the conversation on social media using relevant hashtags, or dropping it into conversation with existing customers and other small businesses in your areas can be a great way to spread the word about Small Business Saturday ahead of time.

As well as the marketing kit mentioned above, there’s plenty of promotion small businesses can do in the run up to December 4th. A simple social media campaign that explains what Small Business Saturday is and how you’re planning to participate is a great place to start, not to mention the more traditional marketing methods like creating posters and flyers for customers to pick up in your physical premises. It’s also well worth connecting with other small businesses in your community. If there are multiple businesses all planning to promote the day, you can create a much more effective and far reaching marketing campaign by working together.

Small Business Saturday is a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate what makes your business unique to your local community. Whether you specialize in a particular trade or skill, or pride yourself on sourcing local goods and produce, make that the centrepiece of your marketing in the run up to the event! 

Small Business Saturday is incredible for visibility and awareness, but it’s important to remember that it’s also a showcase for the brilliant work you’re doing year-round. Rather than see it as a one time event, why not make it the start of a longer term campaign to strengthen your business’s ties with the local community and retain more local customers? There are few things more valuable than repeat business and this is the perfect opportunity to take your small business into 2022 with a larger, more loyal customer base than you’ve ever had before.

Remember, this year’s Small Business Saturday in the UK is December 4th 2021 and there’s still plenty of time to get involved!

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