7 Things to Put Your Small Business on the Nice List
December 11, 2023
As of this writing, there are about three weeks left in the largest retail spending season of the year. If you own a small business and you want to ensure you bring in the most revenue possible in the next several weeks, there are a few things you must have in place. Just as Santa is making his list and checking it twice, you should do the same if you want to be on the “Nice List.”
Getting on the “Nice” Business List
When we talk about things you need to make sure you do in your business, it really isn’t about naughty or nice in a moral sense. But some things just make it easier to buy from or work with you. Ensuring you meet the following qualifications will help you bring in more revenue before the end of the year.
- Stay open. People buy online because it works for their schedule. If you run a brick-and-mortar business and have limited or unpredictable hours, it’s hard to know when you’ll be open. If for only the holiday season, do your best to keep later hours and remain open more days of the week.
- By merry. If you’re trying to get people in the door of your business, make them feel welcome when they enter. You want to encourage browsing and repeat visits. Unfriendly manners or blank looks—or worse, staring at your phone—won’t bring them back.
- Make suggestions. Do a quick read on their purchases and preferences then offer suggestions on other things they might like. You could also strike up a conversation and ask them if they’ve completed their holiday shopping. If not, give them a few ideas for the people they still need to buy for.
- Offer unexpected discounts. If you’ve ever found money in a purse or a pocket, you know how good that can feel. When a business offers you a discount for no reason, it’s like winning the lottery. Pick a random person and give them a discount or watch for acts of kindness in your place of business and give the kind person something special like a bell ornament. It’s something people talk about.
- Help people get to know you. Using social media is important to bringing people in the door. It’s a great way to help people get to know and like you. Some businesses are also using it to sell and hire. Remember the infamous line from Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs, “People covet what they see every day.” When people get used to seeing you interacting on social media, they’ll begin to want what you’re offering.
- Send a thank you note. If they order online, include a special something in their package or wrap it in a beautiful bow. If they buy in person, throw a thank you postcard or sticker in with their merch (or leftovers). These little acts make a big impression.
- Consider what your audience needs most and give it to them. The most effective type of marketing that you can do is show how you solve a problem. For most retail businesses this time of year, that means providing the perfect gift. But you don’t have to be a retail business to cash in on some holiday spending. If you are a house cleaning business, point out that you have cleaning appointments still open before the holidays. Tell them how you can make their home perfect for guests with only a phone call. Frame your business in terms of how you can help make a stressful holiday easier, no matter what it is that you do because everyone could use more of that.
If you want your business to be on the “Nice List” this year, you need to do more than provide cookies. You want to find ways to connect with your audience. When you do, they’ll not only spend some of their holiday budget with you but also become loyal customers year-round.
This article published by the Leavenworth-Lansing Area Chamber of Commerce with permission from Frank Kenney Chamber Pros Community.
Simple Formats That Keep Your Customers Reading (and Buying)
If your chamber membership is gathering dust because you don't enjoy networking events, you're missing out on significant value hiding in plain sight. While mixers and ribbon cuttings get the spotlight, your membership includes strategic resources that can solve real business problems, even for those of us who hate “working a room.” Your Chamber as Problem-Solving Partner Before hiring expensive consultants or spending hours researching solutions or attending City Council meetings with time you don’t have, tap into your chamber's institutional knowledge. Most chambers field dozens of questions weekly from businesses facing similar challenges. Need a reliable commercial insurance broker? Wondering about local permit requirements? Looking for employee benefits providers? Your chamber staff has likely connected ten other businesses with exactly what you need in the past month alone. A simple phone call can save you days of research and connect you with pre-vetted resources. Leverage Collective Buying Power Your chamber membership often includes access to group rates on essential services. Health insurance, payment processing, shipping discounts, office supplies, and advertising opportunities frequently come with member pricing that can save thousands annually. Many business owners never explore these benefits because they assume switching providers is complicated. Start with one area—perhaps credit card processing fees or shipping costs—and request a comparison quote through your chamber's endorsed programs. The savings often pay for your membership several times over. - Medical Plan available to Chamber Members through Aetna Strategic Visibility Without the Small Talk Hate networking events but still need visibility? Most chambers offer alternative exposure opportunities: member spotlights in newsletters, social media features, directory listings with SEO benefits, an article in their destination guide, and quote opportunities for press releases. Volunteer for a committee that meets during business hours rather than evening mixers. You'll build deeper relationships with fewer people while contributing your expertise. Economic development, public policy, events, or education committees often need people and meet in formats more comfortable than cocktail parties. - Your membership comes with an online listing that has a customizable landing page, complete with ability to rate and review. However, if your current membership level does not include this, feel free to contact us to discuss an upgrade: Office@llchamber.com - Interested in volunteering? Let us know: Office@llchamber.com . We’re always looking for people willing to lend a hand! - We’d love to hear your praise for the Chamber—send us a short quote!. Interested? You know the email: Office@llchamber.com . - Join our 2026 Leadership class and spend time with a select group of up and coming community leaders. Currently accepting applications through December 1. Make Your Voice Count Chambers actively advocate on behalf of businesses with local and state government. Your membership gives you a direct channel to influence policies affecting your bottom line from zoning regulations to tax policies. Most chambers solicit member input on advocacy priorities but rarely hear from the majority of their membership. When your chamber sends advocacy surveys or requests feedback, take ten minutes to respond. Your specific challenges and stories give chamber leaders concrete examples when they're meeting with elected officials. -Check out our Government Affairs Committee or join them, second Thursdays monthly, 9-10AM, at the Chamber. Playlists of past events also available on YouTube ! - Check out our Military Affairs Council- they meet monthly, first Tuesdays at noon, at the conference room in Fairfield Inn & Suites. They also have quarterly MAC socials. Sign up for our December 10 th social (free!) or contact us to discuss hosting one: Office@llchamber.com. Your chamber membership is a toolkit, not a ticket to parties. Identify two or three benefits aligned with your current business needs and commit to using them this quarter. The return on investment is there. You just need to claim it. - We are also collecting survey answers to better serve our community- please let us know! It’s short (we promise!) and will enter you for a chance to win a “LeavenworthIt” Swag bag. Read More: - 10 Ways to Get the Most from your Chamber Membership - How to Build Business Connections (Even if You Hate Networking) - Local Business Partnerships Strengthen Communities and Drive Growth - Your Chamber Listing Matters More Than Ever! ----------------- Christina Metcalf is a writer/ghostwriter who believes in the power of story. She works with small businesses, chambers of commerce, and business professionals who want to make an impression and grow a loyal customer/member base. She loves road trips, hates exclamation points, and is currently reading three books at once. _______________________________________ Medium: @christinametcalf Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor LinkedIn: @christinagsmith
Everyone is telling you that you should be doing something with AI for your business. Every newsletter, podcast, and conference talk seems to assume you're already knee-deep in implementation. Meanwhile, you're stuck at square one (or just using it to write an email here or there), overwhelmed by options and uncertain where to begin. Welcome to AI paralysis—the small business challenge nobody's talking about. When we talk about AI paralysis, we’re not addressing the technophobe or those business owners who are resistant to change. It's understandable that they have their hesitation. But you’re different. You’re not against AI. You already use it a little but you’re not sure how to implement it in your business for maximum efficiencies. You’re just being a practical business owner and you don’t want to make an expensive mistake. But you're watching competitors post about their "AI transformation" and wondering if ChatGPT is even relevant to your industry. The fear of choosing wrong often feels worse than choosing nothing at all. Why Businesses Are Afraid of AI The paralysis typically stems from three sources. First, the options are genuinely overwhelming. Do you need a custom solution or an off-the-shelf tool? Should you be thinking about customer service bots, marketing automation, or operational efficiency? Second, the terminology is deliberately confusing. Companies slap "AI-powered" on everything, making it impossible to separate genuine innovation from rebranded software. Third, there's no clear ROI calculator for your specific situation. What works for a tech startup might be useless for a dental practice. You don't need an AI strategy with all the bells and whistles. You need to solve specific problems, and AI might be one tool in your arsenal. How to Use AI for Your Business Start by ignoring the hype entirely. Don’t just jump on the latest rollout. Instead, write down your three biggest operational headaches. Get clear on the tasks that waste time, create bottlenecks, or drive you crazy. Maybe it's answering the same customer questions repeatedly, writing product descriptions, or scheduling appointments. Don't think about AI yet. Just identify the pain. Now, for each problem, spend thirty minutes exploring if an AI tool exists that addresses it. Not researching broadly—specifically searching for solutions to that exact problem. You'll quickly discover that for many small business needs, purpose-built AI tools already exist and cost less than hiring additional help. The key is starting microscopically small. Don't implement an enterprise solution. Try one free or low-cost tool for one specific task. Use ChatGPT to draft email responses for a week. Test an AI scheduling assistant for a month. Let an AI transcription service handle your meeting notes. These tiny experiments cost almost nothing and teach you what AI can do. For most small businesses, AI's real value isn't in dramatic transformation. It's in recovering small pockets of time that accumulate into meaningful savings. Fifteen minutes saved on daily email drafts. Twenty minutes saved on social media planning. An hour saved on meeting summaries. It’s unlikely you’ll fall behind your competition because you haven’t built custom AI solutions. The businesses that will struggle in the future are those that haven’t experimented with anything at all. AI paralysis ends the moment you treat it like any other business tool: try something small, measure if it works, keep it or dump it, then move on to the next experiment. If you’re not sure where to start, check with your chamber of commerce. It’s likely they have resources, programming, or connections that can help you figure out how to use AI tools for greater efficiency. Further Reading: 5 Genius Ways AI Can Stretch Your Existing Content AI For Small Businesses: Practical Steps to Boost Efficiency and Customer Engagement AI Isn't Replacing SEO- It's Redefining It How to Win at Content With AI ----------------- Christina Metcalf is a writer and women’s speaker who believes in the power of story. She works with small businesses, chambers of commerce, and business professionals who want to make an impression and grow a loyal customer/member base. She is the author of The Glinda Principle , rediscovering the magic within. _______________________________________ Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor LinkedIn: @christinagsmith
