7 Ways To Create New Foot Traffic

We love stories that echo our own - small businesses that deliver more value and forging strong partnerships!

As small business owners, we know communities are created by people that care about each other, support one another, and appreciate innovative ways to share resources. Our friends in food service could use our help, like many industries that are struggling and juggling bills. Innovative ways to assist a local restaurant with disposable product costs would be to offer supply products to defray costs to their operations. Products in a business district might feature community stories, inspirational quotes or business tips on take out products.

What else can you do with "disposable" products?

Consider these ideas:

1. Become an event sponsor for a local Chamber of Commerce. Brand or co-brand the space on glasses, plates, and trays that will be used for a special event. We did some for a local Zaxby's to showcase their 2 locations on a tasting tray that held the stem of a glass, making handshakes easier!

2. Create a local fan base. Local businesses in a thriving business district can donate a branded tote full disposable food service products to the local hospital as a gift for new parents. Besides being helpful, the bag would feature the logo from the local shopping district, branded paper products from local businesses and of course coupons, print materials and functional items such as bibs, medicine spoons, nightlights, and rubber duckies to remind them that businesses that care about families are right around the corner.

3. Create games that encourage social media posts. If the local coffee shop launches a new flavor and creates a visual poll of the favorite flavor of the month- that's fun for social media. Local businesses that would like to connect to coffee drinkers could offer to have their logo with an incentive on sampler cups, coffee sleeves or to brand stir sticks. Since stir sticks come in different colors, collect a complete set, then earn a free flavor in your next brew.

4. Drive business to you during peak events. Are there events that happen in your business district? In the time leading up to events, offer to provide placements, printed napkins, beverage coasters, cups, and table tents with your special incentive to create a call to action to consumers to stop by your location during the event.

5. Seeking new customers. Are your businesses located near large office buildings or dotted with service businesses around your location? Drop off napkins, coasters or cups for the break room that create a call to action and send out a positive message to attract new consumers to your location.

6. Create a memory. A baker might have signature copper wrapping or labels to distribute samples during a local festival reminding attendees to stop back by the store another day.

7. Is there an art festival in your area? Challenge local artists to create a sketch of your downtown on a napkin and select the crowd favorite for the day. Print that image on napkins to promote the festival for the following year- reminding patrons at the coffee shop, bakery or restaurant about what's coming downtown in the coming weeks or use them in a retail shop with a pop-up artist of the month, reminding consumers that something unique is always happening in your downtown.

Before discounting paper & plastic as not being earth-friendly, did you know we have partners that offer up to 30% recycled content in the construction of products or quick decomposition for their plastic products? How's that for Eco-conscious? Disposable products are also USA Made; employing many Americans in small businesses!