September is one of those months that breeds nostalgia just from hearing its name; one that is an instant reminder of Nana’s grilled cheese with a perfect slice down the middle and steaming, hot tomato soup bubbling on the stove. It is a precursor for the rest of the “ber” months, which sets the stage for decadent foods, desserts, family gatherings and the mass of holidays to come. With all of this in mind, it is imperative to recognize the power in these next few months, and how the innate nostalgia can assist your business in thinking up new (and old) ways to use sponsorships, especially in how small businesses can use sponsorships to gain (and regain) customers this fall. Understanding how small businesses can use sponsorships to reach new customers now can lead to impactful strategies that resonate with your target audience.
Trick-or-treat!
Additionally, exploring how small businesses can use sponsorships effectively can enhance brand visibility and community engagement.
Understanding how small businesses can use sponsorships to reach new customers now effectively can lead to impactful strategies that resonate with your target audience.
To explore these ideas further, consider the various channels through which How Small Businesses Can Use Sponsorships can be effectively leveraged for maximum reach and engagement.
This season offers numerous opportunities to explore the ways that How Small Businesses Can Use Sponsorships can enhance your brand visibility.
Halloween may be known for its intense clearing of the candy aisles in all stores across the board, but Halloween does not need to be the only reason for these empty shelves!
A great way to boost sales this holiday season would be to discuss selling candy bars outside of your business with the local districts, and that a percentage of the sales that are bought inside your store that day will go to new school supplies/gadgets that are needed for the students. This not only creates that same feeling of nostalgia that I mentioned earlier, but it is bringing families from the district to your store to potentially create regular shoppers or even an incredibly high volume day.
While candy bars are a fantastic way to gain traction during this time of year, your business could also host an outdoor coffee stand with a hot donut machine (yeah, I said it!), and sell fresh, apple cider donuts. In this instance you could once again try students from a local district or see if any mothers from girl scout troops were willing to have their girls volunteer for the job. Again, having local sponsorship is a win-win for the business because it creates a bond with the town/city-locals, and it also naturally builds clientele within the specific group of people that are volunteering as well.
Put a pin in it!
Around your business, there are probably some trendy spots that have a cork board that is used to promote other businesses. Feel free to speak with the owner and see if the both of you can host an event that gives each other promotion. For example, if your business is a brewery and they are a coffee shop, see if the two of you can come up with a coffee stout/porter beer that is limited edition, and will be showcased at a bonfire sometime during the fall. Another idea would be if your business is a merchandise store, you could do a featuring of another business on your merchandise or make a deal with the owner that you can help promote their business by creating sweatshirts/tee shirts for them in exchange for a limited-time discount to your customers when they shop at both stores within the same day/weekend!
Hear ye, hear ye!
Another five-star idea would be to host some sort of renaissance day, especially if your business is a bar, restaurant, coffee shop, etc. You could host a day where guests/clients receive a discount if they dress in full renaissance gear or receive a coupon for the next time that they dine-in. The coupon could be something for free with purchase or a specific item at a discounted rate. Regardless you will be gaining business that particular day as well as guaranteed business in the future.
Something else that could be considered with this theme, especially if your business is farm-to-table or specifically food/drink driven, is crafting a renaissance themed farmers market that has all of the vendors you use or a collection of local businesses that could fit in with the renaissance theme. Once again, offer a discount to those dressed up, or offer a free photobooth area! This would also be a stellar opportunity for a community raffle, where the proceeds can go partially to your business and partially to some form of charity!
Now on the other hand, if your business is more artistically driven, such as photography or illustration, perhaps the “photobooth” idea mentioned above could pertain to your skill set! You would gain promotion for your business as well as assist the other business in putting money in their pocket.
Overall…
The best way to gain sponsorships for small businesses is community outreach! There are so many pros to meeting with others that work in your community and seeing if there is a mutual interest in gaining more customers (which, there most likely is!) By being creative and using the time of year as a crutch, there is definitely going to be success, especially because this is the time of year where most people are getting back into their routine and don’t have nearly as much time off as they did over the summer. By implementing something into the community that is low-cost for your business and is bound to have a good turn-out is once again a very win-win scenario here.
Final thoughts
Reaching new customers can sometimes feel impossible, but with the right tools in your toolbox, it is inevitable! Again, speaking with others in the community and seeing if they are interested in hosting some sort of event/festival that can benefit both busniesses is a great way to create new relationships, swap customers, and bring another level of creativity to your business that you maybe hadn’t thought of before.
FAQ
What kind of candy bars should my business be selling to gain traction?
Whatever you are feeling like! If your business is up for it/it fits your business model, maybe make your own – call them limited edition! You could even go the extra mile and come up with some different names that pertain to the current season!
Could I hire someone from a local place that has a donut machine already?
Absolutely! This may even be a better idea, because you could easily collaborate with that business off the bat!
What is the most cost effective way to create merchandise for my business?
A great way to do this would be investing in a screen printing mechanism.
