Coming up

What to post for Small Business Saturday

This is the one day where the whole point is you. Don't waste it on a markdown, spend it turning today's goodwill into people who come back.

Sat 5 Dec 2026the date 69 days to gofrom today 10 daysthe run-up
Pick your days and we write your own guide. Your first plan is free.
The run-up

Every day between now and then that is worth a post

Not one a day. These are the ones that do a job. What each is for is underneath it.

Wed 25 Nov 10 days before Show who's behind the counter Post a photo of you, the actual person, with one line on why you started. On the day that celebrates small shops, being a face rather than a logo is the whole advantage. Write this one →
Sat 28 Nov 7 days before Tell the local story Where you are, how long you've been at it, who you look after. People pick independent shops for the story as much as the stock, so hand them one they can repeat. Write this one →
Mon 30 Nov 5 days before Thank a regular by name With their blessing, point to a customer who's stuck with you and say thank you. It's warm, it's true, and it quietly tells a newcomer they'd be in good company. Write this one →
Wed 2 Dec 3 days before Ask them to bring a friend The most powerful thing a happy customer can do is bring someone new. Ask for it, plainly and warmly, most people are glad to, if only you say so out loud. Write this one →
Fri 4 Dec The day before Set out the day Say what's happening on Saturday and why it's worth the trip. Keep it about welcome rather than money off; the day already hands you the reason. Write this one →
Sat 5 Dec The day On the day Post from the thick of it, the queue, the chatter, a first-time face. Then ask everyone who came to tell just one person. That passing-on is the day's real prize. Write this one →
The idea most businesses miss

Turn a customer into a recommender

Fred Reichheld's work found that the clearest sign a business will grow is whether its customers would recommend it to a friend. Small Business Saturday is made for exactly that: not chasing strangers with a deal, but nudging the people who already like you to bring the next one through the door.

Fred Reichheld, who devised the Net Promoter Score · Fred Reichheld, The One Number You Need to Grow, Harvard Business Review

Questions

The questions people ask

Should I run a discount for the day?
You can, but it isn't the point. The lasting win is a new regular, and people become regulars through welcome and word of mouth, not a one-day markdown.
How do I ask for a recommendation without cringing?
Be honest about it: "if you like what we do, the best thing you can do is tell a friend." People respect the plainness.
What if I'm a trade, not a shop?
Same day, same idea. A photo of a job done well and a nudge to pass your name on works just as it does for a café.

The other dates worth the effort

Fri 27 Nov 2026 Black Friday 61 days to go You can't out-cut the big shops, so don't try. Offer the one thing they can't: a gift card, at a small premium, from a real person. 6 posts to make → Fri 25 Dec 2026 Christmas 89 days to go Your Christmas deadline isn't the 25th, it's your last order or appointment before it. Count down to that, and the whole month gets simpler. 7 posts to make → Everything else The whole calendar The rest of this year and all of next, with the British ones in the right place. Open the calendar →