It’s October, and that means it’s time for playoff baseball.  This is also the beginning of a very important stretch for small businesses.  With the holidays and several marquee sporting events on the horizon companies are ramping up their marketing efforts and designing advertising campaigns geared toward each of them.  As a small business owner, you will want to find ways to draw in the crowds and capitalize on each event as a growth opportunity. Here we’ve outlined a few ways you can increase revenue and have fun participating in the latest season of America’s greatest pastime.

Food – Beverages

Whether you’re in the food industry or not, your business can use themed items to help promote your business and draw in customers.  We’re not trying to make any predictions, but this could mean clam chowder for the Boston Red Sox and deep dish pizza for the Chicago Cubs.  Regardless of industry, you can use food and drink as a way to build relationships and teamwork amongst your employees.  A simple gesture of handing out some peanuts and crackerjacks or hot dogs to your team and guests can contribute to a productive atmosphere.

Contests – Events

There are many different contests you can hold that are baseball centric.  If you’re the owner of a restaurant or bar you may consider promoting a viewing party that includes raffles and perhaps a hot dog eating contest to bring in spectators.  In the retail industry you could hold prize drawings where you give away team themed items based on who wins each game.  Providing several ways for people to enter including utilizing digital platforms will expand the reach of your contest while providing increased brand recognition.

Sales – Coupons

Holding sales for the duration of the series and giving out coupons that are only good during the series can provide you with a revenue spike.  You may consider bundling items into baseball themed packages to increase your sales volume.  Be sure to offer online coupons that can be printed out in exchange for an email address that can be added to your mailing lists.  Make sure you crunch the numbers before offering a sale or coupon so that you don’t end up losing money on the venture.  If your company offers a customer rewards program consider offering double rewards for purchases made during the series.

Marketing – Advertising

Getting the word out about your World Series plans is the only way your efforts will provide you with a significant financial return.  Social channels have become one of the best ways to promote sales and events.  Utilizing hashtags that are trending during the series will dramatically increase your reach.  Your content strategy should include thought leadership for your industry while including a creative baseball twist.  These types of articles resonate with readers and tend to be shared more frequently through social channels.  Providing a logical parallel between your product or service with an aspect of the game showcases the expertise and versatility of your writing team.

Advice – Funding

When it comes to gearing up for big events and holidays there are many things you will need to take into account.  Staffing, inventory, marketing strategy and decoration take careful planning and the working capital to pull it off.  If you’re looking to swing for the fences this fall consider a merchant cash advance from Quikstone Capital Solutions. MCA's provide small business owners with a faster and easier approval process to get you the cash you need for a winning season - it's a home run!