In the first week of May, we salute Small Business Week, a time to celebrate and appreciate the entrepreneurs and small businesseses that keep our economic engine purring! West Center once again puts a focus on local shopping and supporting local entrepreneurs, in order to highlight the role small businesses contribute in the nation’s economy.
We’ve put together a pop-up marketplace where you can not only shop local but also find unique Made in Mendo products, gifts, and services. When you spend your money locally, it benefits us all!
Small Business Week has been going on for more than 50 years, with small businesses leveraging the opportunity to influence their local community, reward loyal customers and partner with other small businesses.
We’ve come up with a few ideas of how you can celebrate:
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Share your story and build your brand. Leverage Small Business Week 2021 to raise awareness of your brand by using the hashtag #SmallBusinessWeek in your posts. Get seen by other businesses as well as their customers as you express and showcase what your business is all about. Make a short video about your business, or write a blog that highlights your entrepreneurial journey so that others can learn from your experiences.
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Network and engage on social media where you can ask questions and use polls to boost engagement on all your social media platforms.
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Say it loud! It’s hard to toot your own horn, especially when you’re super busy but Small Business week is just the time to connect (or re-connect) with your customers with a snappy email campaign. It’s a way to express your genuine commitment to them in a way that compels customers to return.
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Say “Thank you!” to all the people who continue to support your efforts by providing a perk such as a storewide discount during Small Business Week or give a coupon for customers who participate by supporting your social media page or by signing up for your email newsletter.
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Think gift cards! These are a great way to reward customers for spending, whether they shop online or at your storefront. To bolster sales during Small Business Week, offer a gift card to anyone who spends more than a certain threshold on an order. Or, offer different gift card amounts to reward different order sizes.
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Plan ahead. Be sure to get your promotional events published in event calendars, online and in print. Consider supporting a public radio outlet with underwriting; it’s a great (and inexpensive) way to get your name out on the airwaves
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Connect with your team and boost morale around being a small business. You can give out your own awards to employees for Small Business Week or give a thank you gift to each of your staff.
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Collaborate with another complementary small business to boost sales and tell your brand story. Cross-post on social media; hold a Facebook Live event to talk about your products.
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Learn something new! Attend one of West Center’s no-cost webinars to sharpen your business skills and get tips and tools that you can use all year.
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Ask for help. The West Center advisors are just a phone call away at 707.964.7571. If you need assistance with your business, pick up the phone today!
