It’s no secret that many small businesses are operating on razor-thin profit margins already. So, when you throw in a Winter Storm the size of what the East Coast is enduring right now, it’s no wonder that many small business owners are worried about far more than shoveling their driveways or picking up milk at the local grocery store.
Veterinarians, optometrists, dentists, and chiropractors are seeing cancelled appointments — resulting in a dramatically reduced weekly income. Retail stores are suffering disappointing sales numbers as our collective focus is on “the basics.” Massage therapists know this week’s clients are not going to brave the snow for their weekly or monthly appointment. The same general scenario affects all businesses, including restaurants, pet groomers, photographers, financial planners, and more.
Most businesses will sit idly by and lament the weather-induced financial hardships, shrugging their shoulders and feeling impotent to do anything about it. As a result, they will miss a HUGE opportunity to increase their income, generate cash flow, and connect with their market. The truth is, every business should have an inclement weather plan infused with determination, creativity and some good old fashioned elbow grease.
Here are a few specific ideas I’ve used with my own clients with great success, which can serve as a springboard for your own Winter Cash Infusion strategy:
- A restaurant owner — savvy enough to have already been collecting names, numbers and emails of their regular guests — offers a STORM IN FOR HALF OFF offer during inclement weather. During this time, the owner contacts his customers offering a $50 gift card for $30 or a $100 gift card for $50. The customer provides credit card information via phone and the owner has their card waiting for them whenever they come back in the door.
- A massage studio offers every rescheduled appointment caller the opportunity to buy their next three massages and receive a bonus of a FREE body scrub.
- A medi-spa ran a STORM IN TO SLIM DOWN special on their fat reduction treatment… calling those who had come in for one treatment (typically a Groupon or Living Social deal) and offering them a book of treatments at a discount when paid in advance via phone.
- A cosmetic dentist called to confirm appointments for the day AFTER the storm — a day typically fraught with no shows — and increased his show rate by offering each person a complimentary spa product when they arrived.
Each of these examples did “borrow” against future profit, but they also reduced the burden of very restricted cash flow and secured future business with their clients, as they paid in advance.
In addition to this, the medi-spa used it as a great “lost customer” retention program, dramatically increasing their ROI from previous daily deal campaigns. The cosmetic dentist used it to introduce a new spa product they were trying to sell, and to decrease the overhead loss on no show appointments. The massage studio used the storm plan to introduce a new service (body scrub) and to get clients to book multiple appointments in advance. The restaurant owner secured future visits to their location and “bought” the continued loyalty of their customer base.
How can you use this winter storm as a profit-producer? Be sure to tell us your ideas below, so we can help you get the word out!
