Get Ready for Small Business Saturday, the Super Bowl of Shopping Local

Start planning now to get the most out of Small Business Saturday.

Peak holiday shopping madness is just around the corner. Are you ready to tap into the local spirit and celebrate the season of sales?  Keep your business paws-itively top of mind on Small Business Saturday, November 25, 2023.  Read on to help the locavores find and support your business.

Bark about it!

Sketch out a few key perks of shopping with you this holiday season. Let your audience know that money spent at businesses like yours supports engaged, vibrant communities while paying local workers. In fact, for every dollar spent at a locally owned business, 70 cents stay in the local economy (compared to only 40 cents of every dollar spent at a national corporation). 

Get your shop-local messages written down, then shout them loud and proud! Sprinkle your holiday highlights into social media posts, newsletters and your website. Amp up the volume on these messages as fall progresses, with a big push starting early November. 

Cartoon yellow labrador holding megaphone
Let everyone know what a treat it is to shop local!

Show off the economic, social and environmental benefits of shopping locally and remind folks just how special curated gifts with character can be. Consider planning a special Small Business Saturday offer (like a free gift with purchase, complimentary gift-wrapping or fun stickers), offering seasonal snacks or inviting a local artist to perform during the day. Get the word out early and often about all the fun you’ve got planned.

Postcard featuring young girl with glasses on one side and #ShopSmall promotional text on the other side
Postcards are a great way to get the word out ahead of Small Business Saturday. Bonus: keep a stack of extras behind the counter to double as business info sheets to share all season.

Show off

Don’t make the rookie mistake of waiting until November to start thinking about holiday campaigns. Make Small Business Saturday YOUR big day – the day to work toward, drive traffic around, and really celebrate. If you concentrate your planning, resources and excitement on kicking off November 25, the next month will be a  walk in the dog park.

Snag some free Shop Small marketing materials from American Express, or take it to the next level and personalize your small business marketing with unique designs that reflect your community character. Check out these fun examples:

Window decal on glass door with white dog silhouette wearing reindeer ears, a red nose and Santa hat below the words "Happy Howl-idays!" bordered by holly
YellowDog’s mascot got accessorized for the season with our special happy howl-idays logo.
Graphic of three building store-fronts with the words "Dream Big Shop Small" on a purple background
Dream big and shop small all season long.
Shop Small graphic displayed on digital tabled held by feminine hands
We created this festive graphic package for our client Vista Eye Care.
Shop Small graphic depicted on cell phone sitting on wooden surface
Mobile messages got Vista Eye Care’s community pumped to shop small with them over the holiday season.

Need design support? Set up a call with the YellowDog design studio today.

Signage

Bring those creative campaigns to life around your store. Splash your seasonal spice around with window graphics, point of purchase displays or even street-side feather flags to bring people in. Make the IRL shopping experience one to remember with Instagrammable wall decals, photo booths or even sidewalk art. 

Chalk art on sidewalk surrounded by green grass reads "You Are Magic" in pink text
YellowDog designs are multi-purpose! This inviting graphic shines in any medium.

BTW: Murals are kind of our thing. YellowDog’s ready to help you wake up your walls and create a backdrop worth leaving the house for.

Packaging

Work with a partner like YellowDog to design and produce unique packaging to make your gifts pop! Some our favorite packaging ideas include:

  • Limited-run special edition boxes like YellowDog crafted for last year’s smash-hit client gift boxes
  • Tote bags to the first 100 customers with your name, logo and shop-local message. 
  • Special gift bags or even seasonal wrapping paper.

Custom holiday cards also make a great asset for your business and a great giveaway for shoppers.

Tan tote bag sitting on a table in front of a large yellow dog mural with black YellowDog branding
Tote bags serve as great reusable packaging and branded giveaways customers can use again and again.

Join in with neighborhood happenings

Neighborhoods embrace the season to bring shoppers out, bring people together and drive business to local shops every year. Check with your neighborhood business alliance, chamber of commerce or economic development association to find out how you can get involved in special promotions.  

List your business on American Express’ Shop Small Map to help neighbors looking to shop local find you, and keep an eye out for community events in the Denver area like Cherry Creek North Small Business Weekend!

Bring it all together with your creative messaging, design, signage and packaging to really celebrate Small Business Saturday this year. It’ll be a dog-gone good time!

Picture of Katie O'Dell

Katie O'Dell

Katie works on all things storytelling, brand-building and content creation as YellowDog's marketing manager.

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