Take Advantage of the Back to School Mentality
Target People's Desires to Learn New Things in the Fall
Aug 15, 2009
As September rolls around, children and young adults everywhere are going back to school. Despite the fact that they may have been out of school for many years, quite a few adults still mentally switch gears in the fall and feel the urge to buy new office supplies, purchase new clothes and enroll in courses. With a bit of creative thinking almost all small business owners can take advantage of the back to school mentality.
Back to School Sales Can Work for Service Oriented Businesses
Quite a few business owners think that if they aren't selling back to school fashions or supplies, then there is no way they can bring in those fall shoppers. However, there are many service businesses that can offer back to school specials, too. Take a look at these examples:
Car pool moms need to rely on their cars to get them and their precious cargo safely to and from school. Mechanics who offer back to school tune up specials may attract some new customers, while loyal customers may appreciate a complimentary safety check to be sure car seats are properly installed, tires are properly inflated, etc. The mechanics can create a simple safety report card to give to each customer to tie into an education theme. The report cards will encourage customers with a low grade to consider having their cars repaired to keep their families safe.
Home improvement contractors and handymen may want to concentrate on how to help moms get kids off to school and how to help them get their homework done more effectively. For example, when a child's closets are an organizer's nightmare, a busy mom may be very interested in hiring someone to install a simple closet system. Other moms may need an entire closet constructed to replace a tiny closet that doesn't suit the needs of a teen girl with an extensive wardrobe. Still other moms may need to create a quiet area where they can study as they head back to school themselves and may be looking for someone to finish attic or basement spaces for them.
Businesses Can Offer Free Classes to Keep in Contact With Customers
Offering seminars, classes, or even email tutorials to customers is a great way to take advantage of their desire to learn new things in the fall. Supply lists or suggestions for ways to make a simple project better with professional assistance can help make the classes profitable for the small business owner who is providing them. However, even if the classes don't directly increase revenue, the business should receive some free pr, since local papers often list events like free classes in their things to do sections.
Once creative entrepreneurs realize that they can benefit from their customers' habit of learning new things each September, they will be able to use that knowledge to increase their businesses' bottom line. Whether they offer sales, classes, or just some helpful checklists, they will be able to effectively take advantage of the yearly back to school routine.
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