Back To Business

It is that bitter sweet time of year when children head back to school.  Many business owners put their business growth on the back burner during the summer months to enjoy the summer vacation with their families, but once the kids are gone you must get back in the swing of things.

Like the children heading back to school, it is vital that business owners refocus and re-evaluate their needs. This is a perfect time to set new goals for your business. This is also a perfect time to step up your marketing efforts.

Here are some tips on kicking your business back into high gear:

1. Review: Get up to speed on news, trends and changes in your industry. Study your competitors. Study your business.
2. Re-Organize: Just like the children are starting fresh with new clothes, school supplies and more, take this time to declutter your work space. Replenish your office supplies, order new business cards, and get things squared away. Simply looking at things with a renewed vigor is motivating.
3. Plan: Set goals such as acquiring 3 new clients, attending 10 networking events, etc. Schedule your day and be sure to fit in ways to attract more business.

Now that you have decluttered, reorganized and planned for the future of your business, let’s consider ways to use this back to school – work time to market your business:

1. Direct mail marketing: Now is the perfect time to reach out to customers through a direct mail marketing campaign. Perhaps you are the owner of a hair salon; you could offer a special back to school promotion for your services.
2. Cash in on the sports lover: It is football season and a perfect time to leverage the sport’s popularity into sales. Basketball and hockey are not far behind in commencing their season. Restaurant and bar owners can take advantage of offering specials to customers on game nights, offer special menus and cater to the football fan.
3. Halloween: Halloween is prime candy season. This is a great opportunity for you to offer promotional tote/trick or treat bags to target customers. Giving reusable tote bags to families to use on Halloween and adding some custom branded treats is a great way to show customers you appreciate their business and positively reinforce your brand.
4. Get a head start for the Holidays: If you are the super organized person we know you are, then you are likely one of those people who also start their holiday shopping by mid-September. That means that back to school shopping often involves holiday gift shopping. Businesses can take advantage of this by marketing early bird holiday sales, coupons and print catalogs and distribute them for those early birds.

So while the kids return to their academic careers, business owners should also take this time to regroup and find inspiration to build their businesses just as the kids are building their minds.