‘Tis The Season

Ah yes, Christmas has arrived once again. This is the time of year when friends and family gather together to reminisce of another year gone by. People are out shopping for that special gift for their kids or significant other or hanging out with friends sipping a glass of eggnog. But there is usually one person who gets left out. “Who is that,” you ask? Your clients, customers, vendors, and most everyone else who has been vital to the success of your business over the past year. These people are so easy to forget because most of us don’t have a personal / special relationship with them. But if your business is going to have long term success you better start giving back to the people that give to you all year.

Let’s go over a few things that a small business could do to show their customers some appreciation over the Holiday Season

• The very easiest thing to do is send them a Holiday card. You can go online to Vista Print www.vistaprint.com and get some great looking cards customized with your brand at a reasonable rate. They also have other promotional items and their prices are very competitive.
• Depending on the size of your customer list, you could have a holiday get together at a local restaurant or pub. If this is something you choose to do, it would be best to talk to the manager of the establishment and see if there is possibly a discount for hosting a holiday party there.  Tell them that the percentage of discount they give, you will donate that amount to a local charity on their behalf. This is a Win-Win for everyone involved.
• Give to your client’s favorite charity. You may know that your client is passionate about a certain cause such as saving the animals, supporting cancer research, or the United Way.  Not only will your client appreciate the gesture, but you will feel great about supporting a good cause as well.  Again, depending on how large your customer base is, this could get costly. But remember every client does not have to get the same gift.

These are just a few ideas; you can get as creative as you want. The main thing to remember is giving is always better than receiving. And that’s the way life is supposed to be.

Next month we will talk a little about what you can do throughout the year to maintain customer loyalty.