It's About Time

I publish a motivational quote on Facebook every Tuesday at 11:11 AM.  I've often been asked how I chose the timing of the post and I respond, "There is no magic significance. It just helps me be consistent." The image shown here was from this week's post. As I turn the calendar to September, I've been thinking a lot about time. September signals a new season, one that's filled with renewed energy and, for small businesses, often comes with a renewed commitment to end the 4th quarter of the year strong.  

Timing counts.

Scheduling an email campaign, sales promotion or event all depends on the best timing for your audience. We tend to underestimate how timing can affect the outcome of our hard work.  I've been asked twice in the last couple of weeks to help promote an early September event for which no outreach had begun. The timing for the first event was difficult as it was to occur the day after Labor Day, after a long weekend, in the midst of school starting.  The second event required a tremendous amount of foundational structure, including a website that needed to launch prior to the event. The first session was planned for September 11.  My advice was to push the start date out a week due to the sensitivity of holding an event on the anniversary of 9/11.  Unfortunately, change meant that the last session would be held over the Columbus day long weekend. 

For many small businesses owners, the 4th quarter represents their highest income during the year. Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday and for non-profits, Giving Tuesday are all opportunities for not only big retail, but also for small retail and service-oriented small businesses.

By now, you should have your 4th quarter goals in place.

What will you offer - a discount, a customer appreciation event, etc? How will you promote - print paid advertising, local calendars, email promotion, Facebook events, groups, paid advertising? Do you have the in-house staff to support your efforts or will you outsource?   

If you're unclear about your goals, I'm always happy to chat.