This week, we’re celebrating entrepreneurs. We’re holding a contest, co-hosting a webinar, and partying all week. It’s National Small Business Week! What will you do to celebrate?
Here are 25 ways to celebrate National Small Business Week. Don’t forget– you can work on these initiatives all year.
1. Start or Work on your Blog
Blogs build community, generate traffic, and help show you’re expertise. Seriously, 81% of consumers in the U.S. trust info they read on blogs. Get your advice out there! Blogs are great for SEO, too. They help get the word out, and wind up attracting tons of inbound links.
Why do it:
Blogging doesn’t just help you become a better writer. It helps you establish yourself a trustworthy source of information, and helps boost your SEO. Most of all, a blog connects you with an audience who could become customers.
Read up:
- Using Educational Content to Win Ideal Customers
- What Should a Small Business Post on a Blog? (And Should You Even Have One?)
- Is Your Company Blog Really Worth The Time?
- The Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Money-Making Blog in 1 Hour
2. Join a BNI, Chamber of Commerce, or Other Business Club
Growing a business is all about who you know. You want to become the go-to accountant or architect that everyone recommends. To do it, you have to get involved. Joining a BNI, Chamber of Commerce, or other business club is a great way to get involved in your community. Membership will help you become a go-to connection.
Why do it:
People trust people they know more than people they don’t. Get to know more people.
Read up:
- Is a BNI Membership Worth it?
- Is a Local Chamber of Commerce Membership Worth it?
- Growing a Local Business: Who You Know Matters
3. Partner With Another Business
Get in front of a new audience by leveraging partnerships. Find another business who caters to the same people as you do, and dream up a way to collaborate. You might co-host an event, co-write an eBook, or do a contest where you give away their products.
Why do it:
Other businesses have huge audiences. Dipping into those audiences is a huge opportunity for you.
Read up:
4. Do Some Social Promotions
Your customers are hanging out on social media, so meet them where they are! Put some money behind carefully constructed Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn ads. Test out a few different ads against each other, and see how the channels work for you.
Why do it:
The world’s on social media, and paid promotion goes a long way. Just a few dollars can result in huge exposure.
Read up:
- Is Paying for Social Media Exposure Worth it?
- The Small Business Owner’s Quick Guide to Sponsored Twitter Ads
5. Find a New Way to Get the Word Out
We all get stuck in our routines, doing what we know, but we might be missing out on a great promotional channel, one that brings in more customers than ever before. Get out of your comfort zone and find a new way to get the word out to prospective customers.
Why do it:
You might have an untapped source of customers waiting to be discovered. That means $$$ for you.
Read up:
- 15 Ways to Let the World Know About Your Awesome Business
- The Startup’s (Budget) Guide to Traditional Marketing
6. Thank Your Employees for All They Do
If your business didn’t have humans powering it, things would deteriorate fast. National Small Business Week is a good time to thank your employees. Thank them for their commitment to your business by taking them out to eat, hosting a party, or giving gifts. If you’re on a tight budget, a simple thank you card counts for a lot.
Why do it:
Your business couldn’t exist without its people.
Read up:
7. Support Other Small Businesses
Small businesses share similar struggles. They lack the resources of big brands and have to get scrappy. Their employees get involved with everything, rather than very specific, niche tasks. Celebrate and support the other small businesses in your neighborhood this week.
Why do it:
Small businesses are more powerful when banded together.
Read up:
8. Get Your Accounting in Order
Are your finances disorganized? Are you stumbling through the books each month? This week, get your accounting in order. Maybe that means finding a bookkeeper, re-doing your budgets, or reading a book on personal finance. Whatever it is, do it this week!
Why do it:
You can’t scale a business if any aspect of your accounting is out of whack.
Read up:
- 5 Common Small Business Accounting Mistakes
- 5 Ways to Get Your Finances Organized in 5 Minutes or Less
- The Best Accounting Apps for Your Small Business: Reviewed!
9. Find and Listen to Some New Podcasts
Podcasts are a great way to gain knowledge, especially while you’re in the car, on a plane, or commuting via public transit. Podcasts exist on every subject under the sun, so there’s sure to be one that will speak to you.
Why do it:
Knowledge is power, and podcasts are an easy way to get it.
Read up:
10. Read a Helpful Book
Reading. Maybe it’s something you love. Maybe it’s something you hate. Either way, reading has been scientifically proven to make you smarter, help you concentrate, and reduce stress. Instead of letting your Kindle gather dust, why not resolve to read a business book?
Why do it:
Books provide insights you can’t get anywhere else. They help change your perspective so that you can grow your business (and yourself!) into exactly what you want.
Read up:
- Books Every Entrepreneur Should Read
- The Best Business Books for Entrepreneurs: 9 Must-Reads We Devoured
11. Automate Your Marketing
Ever have one of those days where you feel like you need to clone yourself? One of the best ways to fix this is to automate your marketing efforts. You might be worried that “set-it-and-forget-it” means not adding your personal touch, but automation can be natural and free up tons of time for you.
Why do it:
Today’s buyers are much more informed, and they’re making decisions long before you talk to them face-to-face. If you don’t have things automated, you’re bound to let your marketing slip through the cracks.
Read up:
12. Try a New Small Business Tool
When it comes to running a small business, time and effort are precious resources, and the last thing you wanna do is waste them. Thankfully, there are tools available to make your life much easier. From marketing to accounting, communicating, and more – there’s a tool for that!
Why do it:
You’re a busy person, and it’s hard to stay organized. A tool can’t make or break a business, but it can take a load off so that you can focus on more important things.
Read up:
13. Do Some Spring Cleaning
As a small business owner, you’re faced with a constant stream of things to do. Harry Potter isn’t going to wiggle his wand and organize your life, so you’ve got to adopt some basic strategies that work for you.