caitlin e shogren

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What are the best items and programs to invest in during Black Friday for small business owners?

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What do you look forward to when Black Friday deals come around? Are you looking at how you can save? How about how you can grow your small business?

There are many things to look forward to when it comes to the holidays. Many people are excited about the savings they can exploit when it comes to Black Friday. 

Many people need to think about where they can save the most when it comes to Black Friday deals for their small business. Business owners might be finding a good deal to expand or sustain their businesses during the upcoming year. 

Many industries take advantage of Black Friday deals for customers and fellow business owners. Some might take advantage of learning something new or investing in a new program or product to take a new direction with their business. 

No matter what the end goal is, here are five things that I look forward to when Black Friday deals run-around for small businesses to take advantage of during the holidays.

Books, workbooks, and manuals

Whether you are looking to grow your small business or expand your skillset, you can’t go wrong with wanting to grow your library a bit.

As a bibliophile, you can bet I’ll include books on every list, but you can grow and improve your small business with the right resource on your bookshelf. You can learn from so many people you wouldn’t usually interact with and learn in new ways. You can start a biography of someone you admire or create a new process for your business in the new year. 

You have no limits on what you want to learn, either. You can buy ALL. THE. BOOKS! You can have a business set-up shop within a bookshelf, and no one would blink an eye. 

Some of the best books I’ve gotten or received when setting up my graphic design business were:

No matter your intent, find a book that you can learn from and invest in expanding your world.

Related Content: My coronavirus isolation reading list for creative female entrepreneurs and business owners

Tailwind and other scheduling programs and apps

Tailwind has made my life so much easier as a business owner, but Tailwind isn’t the only scheduling tool. Later and Hootsuite are two widely popular social media scheduling tools for business owners.

I focus on Tailwind because I primarily use Instagram and Pinterest as my social media platforms. That isn’t to say other social media platforms are fruitful; I know most of my clients focus on those platforms.

Most social media schedulers have both websites and apps to be reachable for business owners. If you’re looking into an app or platform over the holidays, it’s also worth noting that most scheduling tools will offer a free trial period for most users but make you pay for their services to access their apps.

It doesn’t have to pertain just to social media as well. Many platforms, such as MailChimp or ConvertKit, popular email marketing platforms, will also have similar deals and restrictions within their programs.

Print materials

Most commonly, business owners need business cards to hand off to other potential clients, but no matter what you’re printing, you can get a great discount on deals for Black Friday. You might look into journals, postcards, flyers, or even large print posters!

I’ve talked about business cards are NOT dead and how they can be used to further market your business. They’re one of the easiest and smallest investments a small business owner can make into their business, but many business owners fail to realize how much power the right print piece can have on your location.

You might have to get creative with how you spread the word (passing out flyers is no longer a great way to spread awareness), but social media isn’t the only way to attract and market to clients!

moo.com will most likely have a few deals going on this Black Friday. It’d be in your best interest as a business owner to see about any products and services you can promote in your area, such as a small postcard or a thank you card to your patrons before the holidays.

Related Content: Why I choose moo.com for my creative business materials

Technology!

Most technology giants are having deals running rampant during Black Friday, so look more into that DSLR camera pack, that tablet you’ve had your eye on, or the laptop you’ve needed to take your small business on the road with you.

I love talking tech with people around the holidays and Black Friday because they usually have the most significant savings. That’s not to say you should buy everything now that it’s on sale, but you should see how something could impact your business when you buy it during a Black Friday sale.

Tablets, cameras, and accessories are great buys during this season. If you need these items, this is the time to do your research to get the bang for your buck. You’ll be able to put it as a business expense without having to invest a lot of money up-front.

Local and small business deals

Don’t forget those other small businesses in your area! Many business owners are running their business deals on their goods and services during this time of year. Make sure to do your homework and support local small businesses too.

Remember that there are many small businesses in your area and, if you’ve been thinking about a service with them, you might consider asking if they will have any Black Friday deals that would interest you.

Even if you aren’t a small business owner yet, you might consider getting a new headshot, a resume uplift, or new office furniture for your home office. It might come at a better deal with a local small business rather than a chain store.