Go to the Fair – This is one place small business should be
You may not make it a habit to go to the county fair, or community festivals like the Oktoberfest, but you might want to reconsider. The fair, and all the other get-togethers, are a great place to meet people and make a few business contacts. It’s also one of the best places to learn how your business can help the community.
At the fair you usually have an option of a tent or a building. Some fairgrounds offer tables in their air-conditioned building. Yes, it costs money. This is part of your advertising budget.
At the fair a huge variety of people walk past. You’ll need to decide what you can offer to all those people – and it should be free.
The newspaper offers free newspapers of the most current edition. There are forms for subscriptions and news articles at the booth (in the AC) and a display of past editions.
Other ideas I’ve seen:
· A bank gave out free calculators – nice ones with covers.
· A radio station gave out prizes for a Wheel Of Fortune type game. That was really popular – there was always somebody at that booth.
· An accounting business gave away free pens AND mugs.
· An investment company had a fishbowl for business cards that would be entered in a drawing for a free TV.
· The local hospital gave away brochures on various health concerns in a great big printed plastic bag that could be used to hold the free newspaper, mug, pens and other free stuff gathered at the fair.
Think about this as a new way to meet new people and make connections with other businesses that are also going through the booths and tents and gathering free materials.
Here’s just a few of my local festivals where meeting people is the main activity:
Community festivals
Fall Fest
Sweet Corn Fest
The County Fair
The State Fair
Popcorn Festival
Harvest Festival
Tomato Festival
Oktoberfest
Business District Trick or Treat
Brat Fest
Hobo Days
Music in the Park
Community Street Fair
Music Fest
Christmas Parade
Go to the fair, hang out, make new friends, and have fun!
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