This building looks like it is in good repair, but there’s no way to tell by looking that it’s an active seasonal business. Photo by Ana Blaisdell.
Marketing tip: keep signs up year-round even if you’re a seasonal business.
When I toured several small towns in Washington and Idaho with the Inland Northwest Partners, I noticed many part-time and seasonal businesses did not have signs up during their off season.
In the town of Deary, Idaho, (population 500) there is a wine tasting parlor in a well-kept brick building on a corner in the downtown. Unfortunately there are no signs to indicate that the building is in use as a business during the tourist season. All during the winter it looks like just another empty building with blank paper covering the windows. By the time I toured in March, the paper was water stained and looked unattractive at best.
This contributes to a look of having an empty downtown or being less occupied than it really is. The way your downtown looks affects how people think of your downtown. Looking bad hurts the entire community’s development, which in turn hurts the wine tasting business.
It would be quite easy to create signage that indicates what months during the year the business is open and when it is not, much like operating hours.
I suggested a number of options for the wine tasting room. The owners could paint decorations on the windows, hang a permanent sign on the building, put posters or artwork inside the building to show through the windows, or use perforated decals with the marketing message and keep people from looking through the windows while still admitting light to the interior.
This tip applies to seasonal service businesses just as much as retail businesses. Whether your business is seasonal tourism equipment rentals or tax-season accounting, keep signs up year-round so you don’t look abandoned.
Every business in a small town wants to be part of a thriving local economy. Posting signs year-round on your part-time seasonal business is one way to contribute to that thriving locally economy.
Does your town need a boost of enthusiasm and fresh ideas?
Learn more about my working visits to small towns here.
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- From high school students to senior citizens, everyone joins the discussion in Potlatch, Idaho. Photo by Ana Blaisdell
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- This combination business offers tiny spaces to retail pop-ups along with coffee and sweet treats. It feels like a world away from everyday Potlatch. Photo by Ana Blaisdell
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- Everyone in the room introduced themselves by what they care about, rather than just a list of organizations they belong to. Photo by Dodd Snodgrass
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- In Orofino, Idaho, we noticed more buildings that look empty, but actually are active business locations. Photo by Dodd Snodgrass
Learn more about my working visits to small towns here.
- About the Author
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Becky started Small Biz Survival in 2006 to share rural business and community building stories and ideas with other small town business people. She and her husband have a small cattle ranch and are lifelong entrepreneurs. Becky is an international speaker on small business and rural topics.
