If you are looking for a way to increase your sales, grab your calendar and plan a sale around the next holiday or an upcoming special event.   Planning sales around holidays and special events not only gives you a reason to contact your customers, they can also give you new ideas on how to promote your items.

Start out by taking some time and thinking about the product or service you have to offer and how they can fit into holidays or special events.  If you happen to sell cosmetics, you can offer special makeovers for prom, brides-to-be, Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, etc.  If you sell scrapbook supplies, hold a sale slightly before or after each holiday.  Most people will take lots of pictures on the actual holiday and will want to start scrapbooking on their new photos.

If you sell kitchen products, you can create a special for someone having a bridal shower, and you can certainly hold a sale just before Thanksgiving.  If you happen to sell books, toys, or other products centered around children, you can hold a sale right before school gets out as well as right before school starts.




If you sell informational products, you can still take advantage of holidays and special events to increase your sales.  If you sell an informational product that teaches people how to start their own business, you may want to hold a sale in September, as that is when children go back to school and stay-at-home parents can concentrate on starting a new venture.  January can also be a great month to offer a promotion, as people are realizing how much money they spent on holiday gifts and are looking for a way to pay off their credit cards.

You can also offer specials on services you provide.  Feel free to get creative and have fun with the process.  For example, if you are an event planner, offer a special during the summer for planning family reunions or graduation parties.  Another idea would be to offer a discount all-year to parents who hire you to plan their child’s first birthday.

You can also join forces with other home business owners and offer combined deals. Going back to the example of selling informational products that teach people how to start a home business, you could take your “New Year’s new-business” promotion a step further and partner with a web designer. Your package could include information on starting an online business and a “starter” website.

If you use your imagination, you can find a way to build a promotion around your products and services that fits any holiday.  If you need help thinking up ideas, just look at the commercials or circulars for your local stores, as they will be using these types of promotions to lure their own customers.