Small Business Saturday: Make It a Month, Not a Day
You could treat Small Business Saturday like a cute Hallmark moment—hang a poster, post a selfie, hope the foot traffic shows up—and then watch the bump die by Tuesday. Or you can treat it like a 30-day campaign that builds demand before, during, and after the day, grows your list, and books January solid.
Here’s a straight-talk blueprint to turn “SBS” into a month of momentum—weekly themes and partners, in-store events and education nights, loyalty stamps that convert to January, and PR angles your local media will actually cover. Yes, it’s work. But it’s work that pays you twice: now and in Q1.
The Goal
Drive 30 days of revenue and list growth around Small Business Saturday, culminating in a strong January pipeline (bookings, redemptions, or orders already in the queue). The day is the spike; the campaign is the engine.
Quick context you can quote to your team and customers: Small Business Saturday was founded by American Express in 2010, happens the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and is co-promoted nationally by the SBA—complete with free “Shop Small” materials and local visibility. Consumers pour real money into it each year, which means there’s attention to capture if you actually plan.
The 30-Day Plan (Week by Week)
Week 1 — Announce, Theme, and Partner Up
Pick a single theme for the month, not just the day. Examples: “Local Makers Month,” “Home & Hearth,” “Wellness Winter,” “Gifting Local.” Your theme guides your partners, events, and offers, so commit.
Build your core partner list (3–6 max):
A complementary retailer (cross-shop audience).
A service pro (salon, clinic, trainer, designer).
A food/drink partner (foot traffic magnet).
A local nonprofit that fits the theme (cause alignment).
Make the ask simple:
One co-hosted event on your premises.
One IG/FB cross-post and email blurb to their list.
One bundle or punch-card tie-in (see loyalty below).
One PR mention of all partners in your media advisory.
Publish your hours now. Set holiday and SBS hours on Google Business Profile, and schedule 3–4 Google Posts with your weekly themes and event details. Yes, it helps discovery; yes, people check your hours before they leave the house.
Assets to launch by Friday:
Site banner: “30 Days of Shop Small: [Theme] — Events Every Week.”
Landing page: calendar, RSVPs, offers, partner list, store policies.
Social pinned post: the month plan + first event RSVP link.
In-store signage (counter + door): event calendar + QR.
Week 2 — Education Nights + List Growth
Host one “education night.” People buy more after they learn. Keep it 45 minutes with a hands-on element. Retail: “Winter Wardrobe Workshop” or “Five Gifts Under $50 You’ll Be Proud to Give.” Wellness: “Desk Pain Fixes in 15”. Home: “Holiday Table Styling—Live Demo.” In-store events drive incremental sales and new faces when done right.
Your run of show (steal this):
0:00–0:10 Check-in, cider/cocoa, mingle by a merch table.
0:10–0:30 Teaching/demo, two “add-to-cart” moments.
0:30–0:40 Q&A + guided shopping.
0:40–0:45 Offer reveal + RSVP for next week’s event.
Capture the list like you mean it:
QR to sign-up for SMS/email with a bounce-back (see loyalty).
Giveaway tied to event completion (keep it simple, pick one winner live).
Photo corner or selfie wall with partner branding → social shares.
Traffic you control:
Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) postcard to nearest routes (cheap, fast, local), timed to hit by Thursday.
Meta event + small radius ads; invite your existing followers.
Google Business Profile Event post with the title, date/time, and CTA.
Week 3 — Small Business Saturday Weekend (Anchor Events)
Stack the day with reasons to come and stay:
Morning: VIP early hour for SMS list only; first 25 get a small gift.
Midday: Live demo/performance: maker at work, mini-class, or kids’ craft.
Afternoon: Partner tasting/pop-up (coffee, bakery, brewery—clear with your local rules).
All day: Stamp & Win punch card—the core of your loyalty engine.
Cross-store passport (3–6 partners):
Each store gives a stamp per visit + bonus stamp with purchase.
5 stamps = January reward (not today’s discount). This is the trick that turns SBS traffic into Q1 bookings.
Rewards matched to your business model:
Retail: January $15 bounce-back on $60+ (or tiered thresholds).
Services/clinics: “January Jumpstart” booking with a small add-on included.
Hospitality: Weekday January perk (free appetizer, coffee flight upgrade).
Make the rules obvious: one line on the card + a landing page with details. (If you offer gift cards or bonuses, follow federal/state rules on expirations/fees; see resources.)
Don’t forget the neighbors. Drop 25 hand-signed invites to nearby businesses; offer them partner pricing during the VIP hour. Local owners are megaphones.
Week 4 — January Conversion + “Thank You, Local” PR
Turn stamps into January money:
Text + email on Monday: “Got 5 stamps? Book your January Jumpstart here” with link to booking page.
Add two January-only slots per week dedicated to redemptions so your schedule doesn’t get crushed.
Post three customer stories from the month; tag partners and your nonprofit.
Media follow-through:
Send a wrap-up press release with photos, total attendance, money raised (if any), and compelling quotes—plus a January angle (“Local shop extends momentum with repair clinics / styling workshops / wellness jumpstarts”).
Ask your city’s small-biz reporter for a quick Q&A about what worked. (Use a media advisory before the event to get cameras there; use a press release after when you have a story and numbers.)
Weekly Themes and Partner Plays (Menu to Mix & Match)
Makers & Methods: Invite a local maker to demo; sell limited collab pieces.
Neighborhood Night: Partner with two adjacent shops; shared passport; live music.
Wellness Reset: PT/chiro/breathwork mini-sessions; prebook January programs.
Home Comforts: Styling demos; bundle candles + textiles; host a tablescape contest.
Kids Create: Craft hour; parent coffee partner; 10% to the school PTA.
Service Pro Power Hour: Designer/organizer/photographer do 10-minute clinics; sell January consults.
Cause Saturday: $5 per unit to your nonprofit partner; publish totals and impact.
Keep the partner ask simple: one event, one co-post, one bundle, one PR mention. Clarity gets yeses.
In-Store Events + Education Nights (That Actually Sell)
Pick a problem, solve it live. People don’t attend to be lectured; they attend to leave better. Your demo should produce an immediate win: a look styled, a pain relieved, a gift decided, a recipe nailed.
Merch your teaching. Build a “workshop table” with every product used in the demo, plus a “good / better / best” shelf for add-ons.
Set a micro-offer for attendees only:
“Today only: buy the kit, get the brush.”
“Prebook January Jumpstart: free 20-minute tune-up.”
“Bundle two classes, bring a friend free in January.”
Staff roles: one teacher, one cashier, one floater. No one should be both teaching and checking out at once.
RSVP discipline: cap the room, run a waitlist, and honor it. Full rooms create demand; waitlists create reasons to message again.
Loyalty Stamps That Convert to January
Let’s engineer this so you’re not bribing December—you’re building January.
Punch card rules (simple and strict):
1 stamp per visit (bonus with purchase).
5 stamps → January reward (not same-day).
Reward tied to your highest-margin items or open capacity times.
Expiration: end of January; publish it.
Avoid margin leaks:
Make the reward a value-add, not a deep discount (free add-on, upgrade, or fixed-cost perk).
Use daypart fences (Tue–Thu only; no Saturdays).
Track redemptions by code so you can measure lift.
For service businesses:
“January Jumpstart” = 3-pack at a small bonus, consumed by Jan 31.
“VIP Week” early in January for stamp-holders: premium slots, short wait times.
Upsell playbook: at redemption, offer a quarterly membership with the perk baked in.
PR Angles for Local Media (They’re Busy. Make It Easy.)
Media advisory (send one week before the big weekend):
What/When/Where/Visuals/Interviews/Contact. One page, who/what/when/where/why.
Promise great visuals: demos, lines, kids crafting, partner tasting.
Include the community angle: nonprofit tie-in, local makers, neighborhood collaboration.
Press release (send Monday after):
Headline with numbers: “500 neighbors, $2,750 to [Nonprofit], 63 January bookings.”
Two quotes: you (why it matters), partner/nonprofit (impact).
3 photos, names spelled right, easy download link.
Other outlets:
Community calendars (city, chamber, local magazines).
Neighborhood groups (Nextdoor, Facebook).
Local radio (morning shows love “what’s happening” hits).
Remember: advisory gets cameras to show up; release tells the story after. They’re different tools—use both.
Measurement That Matters (Don’t Drown in Vanity)
Track these four and ignore the rest:
List growth (email + SMS): net new contacts from the campaign.
Passport completions and January redemptions.
Average order value on event days vs. typical.
Partner-sourced sales (tag a code at POS).
If something didn’t move these four, it’s not part of next year’s plan.
Pitfalls to Avoid
Too many partners. Herding cats is not a strategy. Keep it to 3–6.
Discounting today instead of rewarding January. You need future bookings.
No capacity plan. January redemptions will swamp your schedule if you don’t block slots.
Ghost PR. If you want coverage, send an advisory before and a release after—with photos.
MIA hours. If Google says you’re closed, you’re closed in customers’ minds. Update it.
Resources
American Express Shop Small / Small Business Saturday: free templates, signage, and campaign ideas. American Express+1
U.S. Small Business Administration — SBS tips and participation guidance. Small Business Administration
Investopedia — overview and facts on SBS (date, purpose, spend). Investopedia
Google Business Profile — special holiday hours & creating posts/events. Google Help+1
Eventbrite — in-store retail events & workshop playbooks. Eventbrite+1
USPS Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) — neighborhood mailers & how-to. USPS+1
PR basics — media advisory vs. press release (when and how). PR Newswire+1
Meta/Facebook — events & local promotion best practices. Niche Pursuits
Your Move
One Saturday is cute. A 30-day plan is money. Choose a theme, line up partners, run one meaningful event each week, use punch-cards that pay you in January, and feed your story to local media like a pro. You’ll end December with a full till and a full January.
Bring your calendar and your partner list. In 60 minutes, we’ll lock your theme, event plan, punch-card rules, and PR hits—so Small Business Saturday turns into a month-long growth engine.