Planned Your Valentine's Day Yet?

This year Valentine's Day falls on a Friday, perfect for ending the week with a dinner date with the significant other, and then keep the love and excitement going over the weekend. If your business is impacted (in a good way) by Valentine's Day, it means this year's Valentine's Day could turn out to be better for you than the previous years! Here are a few things you should get yourself ready for a successful Valentine's Day (in "business" sense).

Florists, Restaurants, Hotels - Have you emailed your clients already? Life is busy. Yes, some people procrastinate things to the last minute, but for the most part it's just that the life is just too busy. They'll appreciate a reminder or two for them. Don't shy away from sending a quick email to them, reminding them to book flowers or dinner tables. This will help them "check off" one (or maybe two!) items of their list and will be great for you as well because with confirmed bookings at hand, you'd be able to plan things better.

Health and Fitness Centers, Gyms - Are you ready with your "February Deals"? February is an interesting month for Gyms and Fitness Centers. This is the time when most of those "yearly resolution enthusiasts" have lost the steam, and many are perhaps a bit disappointed and down because of that. They did their part of signing up. Now it's your part to attract them to the gym. Run some exciting offers and deals to bring them back. You could also tie up with local restaurants and offer gift cards or a "workout for two" deal. The key is to use Valentine's Day to keep people motivated and keep coming back to the Gym.

Realtors, Property Management Firms - Have you prepared your "love letters"? As a Realtor or a Property Management Firm you have a unique advantage in a way that you know more about your clients. Sometimes (well, many times) you know spouse's name, date of birth and anniversary, etc. Use that information to send personalized letters expressing your thankfulness for their business. Also use this opportunity to ask for referrals.

Veterinarians, Dog Walkers, Kennel Owners - You will be needed, you know that, right? For many people, pets are "their Valentine"! and this is your opportunity as a Veterinarian to connect with them in a fun and loving way. As a Dog Walker you can expect people asking for taking care of their pet while they go out on their dinner dates. Are you prepared to take on that extra load?

Tax and Accounting Firms - Don't think Valentine's Day is "your" event? Think again! This is your opportunity to prove that you can really save people money that they can then use on their valentine! If you are offering monetary benefits (such as $200 off on your tax filing, etc.) you can change those offers to something like "Dinner for two at four seasons" or something like that.

Be creative! Be different! And if you can't... don't worry, just call us and we'll make this all a smooth ride for you!

Tags: cover-story,valentine's day,planning,business,marketing