Small businesses fail to target marketing plans

PLANNING marketing and sales offerings around special occasions can be a successful way for small businesses to build their profits.

Traditionally these dates included Mothers Day, Fathers Day, Christmas and Easter, how-ever, Australia Day and Anzac Day appear to be growing in importance following September 11 and the more recent Bali bombings.

Small Business Development Corporation managing director George Etrelezis said that, although most small businesses made little use of key dates, large retailers were particularly adept at basing their marketing around them.

He said heightened levels of patriotism among Australians could make marketing applicable offers around Australia Day important.

Flag maker Pennant House’s owner Stewart Van Raalte said he was noticing a much greater demand for Australian flags than before.

“Australia Day is like the Myer sales for us. We’re flat out,” he said.

Even WA Salvage has entered into the pre-Australia Day market by offering some Australian flags and flagpoles on a trial basis, and initial sales figures have been encouraging.

Mr Etrelezis said school holidays and public holidays could provide extra sales for businesses if they took the correct marketing approach to them and had the right offers for their customers.