SmallBusinessNewz

Well, here it is, the beginning of May. It's about time we start seeing more consistently warm weather, as the summer gets closer.

I talked yesterday about preparing for Mother's Day, which is getting really close, but you really need to be planning for the summer, particularly if you are a brick and mortar store.

This means outdoor "events" to bring the customers in off the street. I use the word "events" loosely, because this can be anything from a sidewalk sale to a promotion offering free hotdogs to customers.

The point is, people will be out and about, and the temperature will be more accommodating for you or your employees to be outdoors promoting your business.

One example that comes to mind is that all the Little Caesars Pizzas around here have employees standing (or sometimes dancing) out near major roads holding signs for their pizza specials (of course it helps if you have a good deal to back the promotion up. Gotta love the $5 large pizza!).

Get creative, though. Anything you can do to attract eyeballs is going to be worth the effort, because getting customers to notice you is the first step in the buying process. Its effects aren't always immediate either. An outdoor promotion can get people talking and create a buzz, or even just linger in the memory of a passerby. Even as I'm writing this reflecting on those Little Caesars employees standing out there with their signs, I'm starting to consider getting a pizza for lunch.

The extent of your outdoor promotion is up to you, but the more creative you get, and the better deals you are able to offer, the bigger the crowd you are likely to draw.

I'm not sure if mother nature intended to give us nice days to profit off of, but as long as we're making money off of moms, why stop at her.