Last year we outlined our shop local gift guide. This year, we’re at it again! Christmas is fast approaching with less than a month to go, and we want to help you find the perfect gift locally! London is full of unique shops and businesses so let’s take a look at our 2022 edition!
For the One Who is Hard to Buy For:
Meet us at The Market at Western Fair District in the heart of Old East Village! They are open Saturday & Sunday mornings until early afternoon. You can find something for just about anyone here. There are locally made clothes, delicious food and treats, artisanal cheese for your holiday gathering, stunning art, and beautiful baby items – just to name a few. https://themarketwfd.com/
A Market (WFD) alumnus, and now located in Wortley Village, Locally Made Marketplace is the ultimate local-lover destination! This unique shop is bursting with quality merchandise, handmade from local vendors. A regular favourite gift shop stop for Emily and Karen, Locally Made Marketplace hosts over 65 local makers in their space! https://www.locallymademarketplace.ca/
Our friends at Mohr Living have an extensive selection of home décor and vintage accessories! Check out their website for a beautiful, unique gift. https://www.mohr-living.com/
For the Athletic One:
Forge Fitness Studio – owned and operated by Personal Trainer, Mandy Rust – offers a semi-private studio in south London for your athletic loved one to train. They offer flexible monthly session packages and high-end equipment! Check them out on Instagram – @forge.fitnessstudio – to find out how you can share the gift of fitness with your loved one!
Kaizen Personal Training embodies continuous small changes resulting in major improvements. Whether your friends and family want to try a drop-in class, or a 10-session package at this gym in Byron, Kaizen has options for you. https://kaizenpersonaltraining.com/
For the Food Lover:
There are so many fabulous restaurants in London and surrounding area. So, what do you get for your favourite foodie? Gift cards!
Mamasim offers both meal support and catering for holiday gatherings or any other occasion. Check out their Instagram for the most mouth-watering meal options! A Mamasim gift certificate is on some of our loved ones’ lists this year! https://mamasim.ca/
Artisan Bakery has the most delectable fresh-baked bread and pastries! Visit their café in Old East Village and stop in for a cup of tea or coffee. They also have a booth located in the Western Fair Market! Convenient shopping at two locations.
Willie’s Café is another Old East Village gem! They have recently renovated in their Somerville 630 home. Whether you’re stopping by for a sandwich, soup, or a treat – they’ve got you covered.
For the Little Ones:
Happy Wear located in Covent Garden Market offers handmade, colourful clothing for little ones as well as a variety of toys, books, and activities to suit a range of ages. Check them out at the market, or online. The child in your life will thank you! https://happywear.ca/
Evelynn by Nicole Snobelen has an exclusive selection of children’s clothing for the little one in your life! (And the not so little ones, too!) Check out her selection of original pieces, and thrifty flips! https://www.evelynnbns.ca/
For the Creative One:
Westmount Fiber Co. offers handcrafted wooden décor and gifts. Whether you have a great idea for a custom piece or are interested in shopping from their website – they’ve got something for everyone (including your kids!) https://www.westmountfiber.co
Good Apparel Co. is one of Emily’s personal favourite local businesses! They offer empowering and positive clothing and have a broad range of stickers and colouring pages for the creative in your life! https://www.goodapparel.ca/
For the One Who Could Use a Little Pampering:
One of Karen’s favourite jewelry designers is Lori Schmidke of Klas squared. Her designs are unique, high quality and expertly made. This gift will be sure to make the woman on your list feel joyful, feminine, and powerful. They even offer gift certificates! https://shop.klassquared.com/
Sandy Weatherhead is an RMT in nearby Komoka. She takes a human-centred approach to massage and is ready to relieve your loved one’s achy muscles. Check out her Facebook page for details on how to book.
Let your loved one relax with the gift of freshly cut and styled hair. Our friends at Christina’s Hair and Esthetics (soon to be Revel Studio!) are ready with gift cards! Check out their Facebook page for all the details!
For Your Furry Family Members:
Nook and Cranny Pet Supplies is a new shop in south London is a must-visit! They offer high quality food and toys as well as expert advice! You can find them on Facebook and Instagram or browse their products before you stop by – www.ncpet.ca
Shopping local is something that is near and dear to our hearts at MYOB. We strive to support the local businesses around us whenever possible. Wishing you and yours a very merry Christmas!
“Despite the fact that they’re paid in another way, everybody has to really feel appreciated.” – Roger Staubach
In today’s workplace, many employees have one main requirement that’s higher on their lists than compensation; they want to be appreciated. They would like appreciation from their managers, supervisors, business owners, and perhaps even their customers.
What does it mean to feel appreciated at work?
It can be lonely at the top, and owners and management can occasionally feel worn out, fatigued, and overwhelmed. They also crave appreciation! It may be tough to show appreciation to others on your team if you do not feel respected as an owner, CEO, or manager. You want your employees to recognize the sacrifices you make to manage the business as you provide them with job security and flexible lifestyle options. At the same time, you hope your customers recognize and appreciate the excellent customer service they receive. It’s a vicious cycle.
In not-for-profit organizations for example, the front-line staff, especially the Executive Director, desire recognition. But the volunteer board members, who regularly put in excruciating hours, want the staff to recognize THEM. Sometimes, both sides end up feeling disregarded and misunderstood. What is supposed to be a win-win situation may end up being everything but.
Why is it important to make your people feel valued?
There may not be a one-size-fits-all strategy for ensuring that everyone (including the “boss”) feels valued; however, there are many benefits to feeling appreciated. Here are a few of them:
Feeling appreciated at work can help enhance productivity.
If you receive praise for your efforts, you will likely feel more productive in your position and be able to do more.
You will cultivate a sense of belonging, which boosts your mood as well as the morale of your company.
Feeling appreciated will help motivate you to achieve your own goals while boosting your confidence and that of your employees and customers.
How can managers help their staff feel appreciated?
Several years ago, Karen, the CEO of Mind Your Own Business, was on a “recognition team” at a previous job. As a gesture of gratitude to the workers, this team decided to bring donuts to work every Friday. She was surprised by the overwhelming number of folks who were offended because they were on a diet or couldn’t eat a donut for some other reason and felt excluded from the “appreciation.” Next, they tried including more people by ordering pizza for lunch. Once again, there was pushback; not everyone ate pizza, or they didn’t like the toppings, hated cheese, were lactose intolerant, or had scheduled that Friday off as a vacation day and missed “being appreciated.” It’s impossible to please everyone all the time. They eventually gave up, and the whole recognition team approach fizzled.
So, how can you make sure that your staff members feel valued and heard? Leaders and managers are both accountable for this. Giving employees meaningful experiences is a terrific place to start. Here are some ideas to consider:
#1.Create and manage a recognition program that is open to all staff. Recognize your staff’s accomplishments and hard work to ensure they feel appreciated for their efforts. Begin by asking your people what kind of recognition they most want.
#2.Celebrate work achievements. Celebrating professional development and career accomplishments is key. A new opportunity or achievement, such as a promotion or new skill development, or recognizing weekly wins, such as finishing a challenging project or getting a new client, are just a few of the many reasons to celebrate! These events will energize and motivate your people.
#3. Provide opportunities for learning, development, and growth. Encourage your staff to stay and thrive inside your company. Allow them to learn new things and build new talents that will help them advance.
#4. Set aside time for your team. Spending time with your people will help you build trust and connections with them. Seek to understand their ambitions and what they want to achieve in their jobs by getting to know them on a personal level. This will help them feel heard and respected as individuals.
#5. Show your appreciation by hosting company events. Events are a great opportunity to show your people how much you appreciate them. Company events also allow staff to network, strengthen relationships, be recognized, and recognize others. Consider giving your team company swag as an additional way to show your appreciation.
#6. Keep a finger on the pulse of your organization. Asking for feedback from your staff is a fantastic way to demonstrate that you value their thoughts and contributions, and it gives them a feeling of purpose, which builds a positive business culture. It is critical to provide a safe atmosphere for feedback, then acknowledge and act on it. Your approaches and tools should be consistent with your culture.
Over to you
As you can see, there are numerous advantages to having happy employees who feel appreciated and have a sense of belonging. Create significant moments that your people will never forget. Both your staff and the company will gain immensely in the long term!
Here we go with holiday marketing again! We’ve been seeing it EVERYWHERE for weeks already. ‘Tis the season! We believe that businesses start planning for the following year’s campaigns while executing the current year’s marketing initiatives. In the past, you could begin your holiday marketing in December, but those days are long gone.
It’s only been a couple of weeks since Halloween and Santa is already in London Ontario! The battle for customer attention with a rally to boost year-end sales for 2022 has begun in full force. This is especially the case with brick-and-mortar retail. Restaurants are actively accepting bookings and aiming for sold-out crowds for the holiday season since many people are organizing family gatherings and office events.
With so many businesses vying for our attention, how can a small business capitalize on the holiday season and be the first one that comes to mind, even after the holidays are over? Before we begin, let’s discuss the importance of holiday marketing. Over the holidays, there are many opportunities for businesses to grow. Here are some ways those opportunities may present themselves:
People often seek interaction more directly during holiday festivities.
During the holiday season, there is an increase in demand for products or services.
The holidays give businesses a chance to interact personally with their customers.
It’s the perfect time to engage in branding initiatives that can encourage client loyalty.
Seasonal holiday shopping periods are an ideal time to try new things and be innovative with your marketing approach.
How can small businesses leverage the holiday season to gain a competitive advantage?
Fortunately, there are more options than ever to keep your company at the forefront of customers’ minds. Here are a few things you can do to get started today.
#1. Post and advertise on social media.
It’s essential to provide quality content for your social media accounts at all times of the year. However, the holidays offer the chance to deliver useful material while also making it fun and festive! The objective is to create social media content that will put you on customers’ radars over the holiday season. Social media holiday contests or giveaways are also a good idea for driving engagement and raising awareness of your company! Another way to stand out on social is to mix up your content without always sharing sales or promotions. Instead, opt for publishing a team photo in Santa hats or a picture of your neighborhood decked out for the holidays to give your subscribers and customers a festive break!
When deciding which platforms to leverage for your holiday marketing initiatives, it’s important to evaluate where your target demographic spends their time on social media. Posting on the channels they frequent is the most effective approach to ensure they notice your holiday posts and ads. Start early to give customers adequate time for online orders and delivery before the holidays.
#2. Organize a value-added sales event.
Invite a large group of people to your store for an exclusive sales event on the same day and time, and let the crowd feed off each other. Everyone loves special holiday promotions! Another option is to hold exclusive crowd-controlled appointments at retail stores. This way, the staff can give the best customer service. Additionally, you’ll receive more purchasers through these appointments than browsers.
#3. Celebrate Small Business Saturday!
Every year, a promotion known as Small Business Saturday encourages customers to support local small businesses. This year, Small Business Saturday is on November 26th, 2022. There are various promotions, such as events, advertising, and public relations initiatives in many towns, so make sure your small business takes advantage of them. You can also participate on social media that day by using the hashtags #SmallBusinessSaturday and #FallinLovewithLocal. It’s an excellent approach to promoting your company over the holiday season. Visit https://www.smallbusinesseveryday.ca/ for more details!
#4. Decorate your website, too.
It’s always enjoyable to decorate for the holidays. Consider updating your website for the season with a holiday vibe as you spruce up your restaurant or retail space! Even if you don’t make digital sales, seasonal themes can help you imprint your company’s brand in the minds of customers. This is an excellent time to update your website and Google Business Profile with your current business hours, especially if you have a different holiday schedule. If you’re managing a restaurant’s website, be sure your online menus are up to date.
#5. Do door hangers still work? Yes, they do.
Team up with another business and share the cost by each of you advertising on one side of the hanger. Offer a discount or special deal code for ordering. There is still value in putting print advertising into the hands of your potential customers. Our client ordered hangers recently and was able to get thousands in his hands within a couple of weeks – a week for design and a week for ordering.
It’s also a fantastic time of year to give out logo swag! Throwing out a lovely pen or pad of paper is difficult. When potential clients are searching for you, you can make it easy for them with a nice little gift that helps keep your logo in their minds.
#6. Send them a card!
In this day and age, sending anything via “snail-mail” may feel weird. However, sending a physical holiday card can help your business stand out, especially since mail is so limited. Plus, many of us still value a physical token of appreciation. Send out your cards early and avoid a sales pitch. Simply being in the mailbox with a personal touch will make your clients happy!
Over to You
Holiday marketing for small businesses should be fun and does not have to be tough. Of course, we understand that many small business owners are extremely busy and lack the time to even think about holiday marketing. Why miss out on all the fun, not to mention the advantages of holiday marketing? We are here to assist – call or contact us today!
Establishing social media marketing goals is an important step in growing your business. Having an active and engaging social media presence is an important tool to invite customers to contact you. Social media platforms play a role in identifying and directing interested potential customers to your website and that is invaluable to any growing business.
Here are three major reasons why social media should be a non-negotiable component of your business’ marketing, brand communications, and online presence strategy:
1. Social media provides the same opportunity for brand visibility, regardless of the size of your company.
Businesses of all sizes can benefit from social media’s levelling effect. Each is given the same amount of online space, as well as the same options for using appropriate and successful keywords, verbiage, eye-catching images and ads to reach their audiences online, regardless of its size or revenue.
By making it easy to display your brand and offerings online, social media platforms provide one of the most effective marketing and communications strategies for your business. What’s even better? Social media is an inexpensive and convenient way to highlight a company’s online presence. This is especially good news for smaller businesses with limited marketing resources. When users are asking their social media community for recommendations, your business is easy to find, to tag and to recommend!
2. Let’s Talk About Social Listening
Businesses that use social media to listen online rather than only broadcasting all the time will find the platforms are extremely beneficial. Social Listening helps a company gain firsthand knowledge of the issues that are important to their audience and future clients. This information then helps them make decisions, take effective action, and make a positive impact.
As well, businesses are more likely to gain their audience’s trust and loyalty when they remember that social media communication requires both engaging with and listening to their audience! Businesses that consistently concentrate on developing genuine relationships with their followers may end up closing more deals than they would have done by sales calls and advertising alone.
3. Social media improves your company’s visibility, both online and off.
Every day, social media assists companies in enhancing not only their online presence but their offline presence as well. In many cases, a large percentage of consumers conduct online research on potential purchases before making a final purchasing decision. If you want to attract these potential customers, you must strengthen your online presence by creating and maintaining your business social media platforms.
Establishing social media marketing goals is an important step in growing your business. Having an active and engaging social media presence is an important tool to invite customers to contact you. Social media platforms play a role in identifying and directing interested potential customers to your website and that is invaluable to any growing business.
Here are three major reasons why social media should be a non-negotiable component of your business’ marketing, brand communications, and online presence strategy:
1. Social media provides the same opportunity for brand visibility, regardless of the size of your company.
Businesses of all sizes can benefit from social media’s levelling effect. Each is given the same amount of online space, as well as the same options for using appropriate and successful keywords, verbiage, eye-catching images and ads to reach their audiences online, regardless of its size or revenue.
By making it easy to display your brand and offerings online, social media platforms provide one of the most effective marketing and communications strategies for your business. What’s even better? Social media is an inexpensive and convenient way to highlight a company’s online presence. This is especially good news for smaller businesses with limited marketing resources. When users are asking their social media community for recommendations, your business is easy to find, to tag and to recommend!
2. Let’s Talk About Social Listening
Businesses that use social media to listen online rather than only broadcasting all the time will find the platforms are extremely beneficial. Social Listening helps a company gain firsthand knowledge of the issues that are important to their audience and future clients. This information then helps them make decisions, take effective action, and make a positive impact.
As well, businesses are more likely to gain their audience’s trust and loyalty when they remember that social media communication requires both engaging with and listening to their audience! Businesses that consistently concentrate on developing genuine relationships with their followers may end up closing more deals than they would have done by sales calls and advertising alone.
3. Social media improves your company’s visibility, both online and off.
Every day, social media assists companies in enhancing not only their online presence but their offline presence as well. In many cases, a large percentage of consumers conduct online research on potential purchases before making a final purchasing decision. If you want to attract these potential customers, you must strengthen your online presence by creating and maintaining your business social media platforms.
Over to you
Are you ready to incorporate social media into your business’ marketing strategy and improve your brand’s marketing and communication strategies? MYOB is here to support you in your social media marketing.
Do you want to increase the visibility of your brand on social media? Are you dissatisfied with the amount of engagement you’re currently receiving on social media? Running giveaways through social media is one of the best ways to get your products or services in front of new customers. People LOVE free stuff, so giveaways create a win-win situation for both you and your followers. They get something for free and you’re able to promote your business. Here’s what you need to know.
What Exactly Is a Social Media Giveaway?
In exchange for a chance to win a prize, brands, influencers, and businesses encourage their followers to complete a task on social media, such as tagging friends, following accounts, liking, or sharing posts. Because winners are selected randomly with no purchase required, everyone who enters the giveaway has the same chance of winning.
The Advantages of Holding a Giveaway
Running a social media giveaway is an excellent way to boost traffic to your website, gain followers, and increase business. Here are just a few of the advantages of holding giveaways.
#1.Expand your clientele. Giveaways can help increase client engagement and grow your client base. Giveaways also have the potential to attract new readers who will visit your website. You’ll have more chances to interact with potential customers on social media and build strong relationships with them! Views are fantastic, of course. However, engagements are a sign that you’re developing long-lasting client relationships.
#2. Increase customer loyalty and brand awareness. Social media giveaways may help boost brand awareness and client loyalty for businesses of all sizes. If you provide exciting prizes and opportunities, your followers will be interested in hearing about more in the future. Invite them to stay tuned!
#3. Boost the number of people who see your products or services. Giveaways allow you to market your business while introducing more people to your offerings. Instead of just giving something away for free, you can offer any product (or service) you want as part of a giveaway. Then, after the giveaway ends, you’ll have a new customer who is already acquainted with your business and what it offers.
How To Manage a Social Media Giveaway
Now that you’re aware of the benefits, let’s go over the steps for launching a social media giveaway. Sprout Social recommends the following steps for giveaway success:
Decide whether you want to gain more social media followers, generate more leads, keep customers, or raise brand awareness. Have a giveaway that fits your goal.
Set a budget and a prize or prizes.
Remember to keep your target audience in mind when selecting a social media platform for your giveaway.
Planning, then conducting your giveaway are the next steps.
After the giveaway is over, take some time to consider your results and decide whether you succeeded in achieving your original goals.
Be sure to review the rules surrounding giveaways on the platform you are choosing. One important no-no on Facebook and Instagram is that you may not ask people to share things to their personal pages as part of an entry requirement. You can, however, offer this option as a bonus entry. It is important to note that you will not be notified or able to see a share from anyone who has a private profile.
Over to You
There are so many ways to conduct a social media giveaway, and each one has advantages from a strategic standpoint for your small business. More importantly, your customers are enjoying themselves while you’re having a good time, too. Launch a social media giveaway, and let the fun begin!
Keep an eye on our MYOB social channels for some upcoming giveaways!
