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Small Business Saturday is around the corner! Last year, shoppers spent a record high of nearly $18 billion on the celebratory day, and 96% of consumers who participated said they wanted to continue to #ShopSmall all year long.
Wondering how you can take advantage of Small Business Saturday as a small business owner or leader? At Dreamforce 2019, we asked small business experts, leaders, and entrepreneurs for their #SmallBizSat advice. Here are their tips:
Are you featuring your business at an event, selling online, or opening your doors for a longer time on Small Business Saturday? Regardless of how you’re selling on the shopping holiday, it’s an opportunity to foster long-term relationships. You can test the market, get feedback on how to expand your product and business, or learn more about your customers and their needs.
Soulful Selling Founder Christine Volden shared how knowing your customers is vital to small business growth.
“The most essential thing for running a small business is to know who your customers are.”
To Smart Hustle Media Founder Ramon Ray, Small Business Saturday is an opportunity to celebrate local small business resilience and success.
“Small retailers should encourage customers to celebrate with them. Invite customers into the store and make it fun by bringing out balloons, pizza, and more! Whether people shop or not, it’s a win for your business — as long as you’re building a relationship with new or current customers.”
Customer Experience VP at Salesforce Essentials Rosie Roca added how conversations with customers on Small Business Saturday can go a long way.
“Engage your customers! Think about how you can make them influencers and have them share their stories of success with their peers. These mini-conversations can be the foundation of future content and marketing campaigns to establish your digital presence.”
How are you supporting your customers? Salesforce SVP of Sales Enrique Ortegon shared how keeping track of customers can be difficult, but technology can help.
“Being successful means that your customers are going to outnumber you by a lot, yet they expect you to know them and treat them like family. Through technology, you can scale valuable and humanized relationships.”
VP of Customer Experience and Operations at quip — an oral care company Ryan Daly, added how using a customer relationship management (CRM) system can help your business foster long-term relationships on Small Business Saturday, and throughout the year.
“My best advice is to invest in communication and CRM. It may seem like a lot, but you have to take care of your customers,” Daly said.
During the holidays, you may be nervous about what deals your bigger competitors are offering, or how much they’re selling in comparison to your small business. According to, VP of Operations at Common Eric Rodriguez, it’s important to focus on yourself first, then think about your competitors afterwards.
"My best advice for small businesses is not to focus on your competitors. This may sound counterintuitive, but brands need to focus on their own product and growth to be the best they can be. You cannot only think about who’s coming for you."
Cupanion Founder Matt Wittek chatted with us about the power of stories. On Small Business Saturday, think of ways to share your story and how that can help you gain more awareness in the market.
“As a small business owner, you need to think about how you’re compounding your impact. It can be as simple as sharing your inspiring story with those who buy from you that day in hopes that they’ll share your story with their network too.”
Small Business Saturday is a community holiday, after all. Founder of G-Photography, Gwendolyn Houston-Jack, shared how patronizing other small businesses can help provide more opportunities for individuals, too.
“Not only are small businesses providing a product or service, but they’re providing jobs. Supporting a fellow, local small business on Small Business Saturday allows them to continue to create job opportunities in their communities.”
How are you celebrating Small Business Saturday? Share with us on Twitter. Plus, watch the recording of our SMB Keynote at Dreamforce 2019 to learn more about how your small business can get on the path to its best business on Small Business Saturday and throughout the year.
Salesforce can help you find customers, win their business, and keep them happy so you can grow faster than ever. Learn more about our small business CRM solutions, follow us on Twitter at @Essentials, or keep up with us on LinkedIn at Salesforce for Small Business. Join the conversation using #SMBTrailblazer.
