How to Run an Effective “12 Days of Deals” for Small Business Season

October 29, 2024

While the twelve days of Christmas are traditionally celebrated between December 25 (Christmas Day) and January 5 (the eve of the Epiphany), consumer businesses often celebrate with the “12 Days of Deals” observance where they offer a new deal every day for twelve days leading up to Christmas Eve (although any 12 consecutive days during Small Business Season works).

The discounts can be incredibly effective in generating buzz and drawing crowds. After all, everyone wants to know what tomorrow’s discount will be. In this article, we’ll walk you through how you can capitalize on your own “12 Days of Deals” during Small Business Season.

Even if you’re not a traditional retail business, remember all customers enjoy a deal (or, better yet, 12 of them!).


How to Run a Successful 12 Days of Deals Campaign

The holiday season is the perfect time for small businesses to engage customers and boost sales. A "12 Days of Deals" campaign is an effective way to generate excitement, attract new customers, and encourage repeat purchases.

Here’s how your business can make the most of this strategy, regardless of your industry.


Step One: Set Goals for Your Campaign

This is not a giveaway. For your 12 Days of Deals to have an impact on your bottom line, you should get clear about what you want to achieve with your campaign.

Are you looking to:

·        Increase overall sales?

·        Clear out old inventory?

·        Drive foot traffic to a physical location?

·        Grow your email list or social media followers?

·        Boost brand awareness?

Setting clear goals will help you structure the campaign and measure its success.


Step Two: Plan Your 12 Days of Deals Strategically

Create a day-by-day plan for your promotions. This is not something you want to do on the fly when you have time to post each day. Consistency is key to this type of campaign. You want to build excitement.

Here are some basics to keep in mind:

·        Offer a Mix of Deals. Rotate discounts, giveaways, and special bundles to keep things fresh and exciting for your customers.

·        Use Escalating Deals. Start with smaller offers and save the biggest deals for the final days.

·        Feature Different Products/Services. Highlight various items each day or different aspects of your business, such as services, gift cards, or seasonal products. If you sell to different demographics, keep them all in mind and offer something for everyone during the 12 days. That doesn’t mean offering multiple deals each day. Just make sure you rotate the appeal. For instance, if you sell makeup and you have a youth line and a mature skin line, either create a discount on all makeup or choose a day to offer something special to the youth and something special for the other group. The deals do not have to be the same or equal, but both demographics should be represented so no one feels left out.


Step Three: Create a Promotional Calendar

Again, consistency is key. Develop a promotional calendar that outlines:

·        What deal will be offered each day.

·        How you will communicate the deal (social media, email, in-store signage, etc.). Save yourself some time and craft and schedule the posts ahead of the day. Use AI to draft them for even more time savings.

·        The time frame for each deal (e.g., 24-hour deals or extending some offers through the weekend). Decide whether you will honor the deals if someone “just misses” one.


Step Four: Promote the Campaign in Advance

Start spreading the word about your 12 Days of Deals campaign before it begins. Tell your chamber about it. Maybe they will include it in their newsletter, emails, or videos about Small Business Season. Use multiple channels to build anticipation such as:

·        Email marketing.

·        Website announcement.

·        Social media. Post countdowns to the first day “unveiling” of the campaign.

·        In-Store signage. Put up posters or signs to let customers know that the promotion is coming soon.

·        Video. On short Reels, TikToks, and Stories, ask customers what they’re hoping to see as part of your 12 Days of Deals promo.


Step Five: Keep It Visible

Use marketing channels to keep the campaign visible and accessible. You might choose to make the deals announcement every day at the same time. You can roll it out in a live announcement to build buzz and interact with your audience. Don’t forget to:

·        Send daily deal alerts to your mailing list, including eye-catching visuals and a clear call-to-actions.

·        Post daily updates about the deal of the day, using engaging images, videos, or stories to grab attention.

·        Feature a “12 Days of Deals” banner on your homepage and social media profiles. Dedicate a section to showcasing the daily offers.

·        Promote the deal of the day with in-store announcements or signage to entice walk-in customers.


Step “Six”: Use a Sense of Urgency

While this isn’t a step in itself (thus the “”), it’s critical that with this type of promotion, it’s all about the ticking clock. The deal is only good for a limited time (establish that ahead of the promotion and communicate it with every deal that is announced).

Encourage customers to act quickly by emphasizing limited availability. Use phrases in your marketing and communications such as:

·        Today only (or whatever hours you’ve established)

·        Limited quantities available

·        While supplies last

·        Sold Out – if you limit quantities of the deal ahead of time and you sell out, make sure you publish that you sold out on your social media and website. You do this for two reasons—you want to minimize the disappointment and don’t want people to make a special trip only to realize it’s no longer available AND people will see you sell out and that will further drive their fear of missing out. When the next deal is announced, they will not hesitate and will buy immediately.


Step Seven: Engage Your Audience

Run an interactive campaign to boost engagement. You can do this by:

·        Offering an additional prize for one lucky customer who takes advantage of the daily deal.

·        Asking customers to share photos of their purchases or tag your business for a chance to win a bonus prize.

·        Using live-streaming on social media to show people in your business and answering any questions.


Step Eight: Monitor and Learn

Track the success of each day’s deal to see what resonates most with your customers. Metrics to consider include:

·        Sales volume

·        Website traffic

·        Social media engagement

·        Email open and click-through rates


If a particular type of deal performs well, consider adapting future offers to better match customer interests. Additionally, if the deal is not inspiring action, think about tweaking deals in the future that were like the one that is not performing.


Drive Post-Campaign Engagement

After the 12 days are over, keep the momentum going. You’re now top of mind for these customers. Don’t waste the momentum. Show appreciation for customers who participated in the campaign by sending a thank you postcard or email. Entice them to return in January with a follow-up promotion.


Early Bonus: Reward Your Loyal Customers

Reward your loyal customers by allowing them early access to deals or a sneak preview of some of the deals. You can use this tactic to encourage sign-ups for a loyalty program or email list ahead of the holiday season. This also allows them to feel “in the know.” While they may leak some of your deals early, talking about you and your deals is well worth the secret getting out.

Smart Ways to Use Summer Interns in Any Business

April 27, 2026
Summer is a great time to consider the advantage of temporary labor. You know that project you’ve been putting off? How about the organization structure you wanted to build? What about that technology trial? Or maybe there's something you’ve been doing that could easily be managed by someone else so you can free up your time for things that require your attention? As vacations loom and customer buying patterns shift, it’s an ideal time to explore temporary hires or interns. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers , businesses expect to hire 3.9% more interns than in the previous year, and 81% say they plan to increase or maintain intern hiring. But if you think you can just bring in an intern, hand over a pile of small tasks, and call it a program, you’re missing a bigger strategic opportunity. The smartest businesses do something different. They don’t use interns just to fill a chair or display them to the community to look like a business that’s worried about the future workforce. They use them to tackle work that matters. Don’t think your business could use an intern? Think again. Here are a few ingenious ways to get things done with the “summer help”: Process Detective One of the best ways to use an intern is as a process detective. Every business has systems that have grown messy over time. Maybe your onboarding is inconsistent. Maybe client files are stored in three places, and no one knows which version is right. Maybe your front desk, inbox, or quoting process depends too much on tribal knowledge. An intern can document workflows, identify bottlenecks (they provide fresh ideas because they don’t know the history), and help organize procedures in a way that saves your team time long after summer ends. It’s not glamorous work, but it’s high-value work and the intern can learn a lot about process, efficiencies, and operations. Customer Experience Reviewer Interns can also be incredibly helpful as customer-experience reviewers. When you’re inside your own business every day, it becomes hard to see friction points. An intern has fresh eyes. Ask them to walk through the experience as if they were a customer. Could they find the right information on your website? Was the contact process clear? Did your social media tell them what you do? Was your location easy to navigate? In almost every industry, there are blind spots the employees stopped noticing years ago. Content Miner Another strong use for interns is content mining. This is especially useful for businesses that know they should be marketing more consistently but never seem to have the time. An intern can help turn existing knowledge into usable content. They can gather frequently asked questions, interview staff, organize customer success stories, pull together blog topic ideas, or help sort photos and video clips you already have. They may not be your final decision-maker, but they can absolutely help uncover the raw material your business has been sitting on. Put them to this task and you may uncover six months’ worth of content that no one can produce but you—an excellent way to stand out on social media. Researcher Summer interns are also well suited for research projects that tend to get pushed aside. Maybe you want to understand what competitors are doing, what events are worth attending, what partnerships might make sense, or what new audience segments you should be reaching. Maybe you want a clearer picture of local market trends or customer reviews. Interns can gather and organize that information (or use AI to do it) so leadership can make smarter decisions without spending hours chasing data. Internal Knowledge Organizer Another overlooked role is internal knowledge organizer. In many small and midsize businesses, important information lives in emails, sticky notes, shared drives, and one very loyal employee’s head. That isn’t a system. It’s a problem waiting to happen. What becomes of your operations if something happens to that employee? At some point every employee leaves. What information would walk with them? An intern can help create shared resources, update templates, build simple reference guides, and make day-to-day information easier for everyone to find. That kind of cleanup can be the difference between having information at your fingertips or having to leave countless messages for past employees. Event Planner or Worker If your business hosts events, supports the community, or depends on local visibility, interns can help there too. They can assist with planning checklists, event follow-up, sponsorship tracking, guest communication, and post-event recaps. They can help your business show up more professionally and more consistently. As we head into a season when networking, festivals, community programs, and business events often increase, that kind of support can make a noticeable difference. But none of this works if the internship is built around filler. Interns don’t need to run your business, but they do need real assignments, some context, and a sense that their work matters. It’s good for them and for you. NACE notes that organized internship programs are linked to better conversion outcomes, and interns who are satisfied with their experience are far more willing to accept an offer from that employer later on. If you’re bringing in summer help, think beyond the 2026 version of coffee runner. Think about what your business needs that your team never has time to tackle. Consider the projects that improve efficiency, strengthen visibility, and make future growth easier. That’s where interns can shine and that’s a much better use of a summer and a desk. Read More: 7 Things You Should Do Before Hiring for the Summer Delegation Done Right: Free Yourself and Empower Your Team How to Build a Culture People Want to Be Part Of How to Verify the Accuracy of An Applicant's Resume ---------------- 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: @metcalfwriting Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor LinkedIn: @christinametcalf5

Roper Romp Map

By Lauren Batchelor • April 24, 2026
Ready to Romp? 

7 Ways to Capture Tax Refund Dollars This Month

April 20, 2026
Tax refund season creates a short spending window. The IRS writes that most refunds are issued within 21 days, and people can start checking status shortly after e-filing through the IRS refund tracker. In other words, your future customers are getting a little breathing room in their bank account right now, and that changes buying behavior. It may also feel like something that was out of (budget) reach before is now doable. This is not the moment to sit back and hope people wander in looking for a good deal. Tax refund spending is emotional as much as practical. People use it to catch up, upgrade, treat themselves, solve annoying problems, and finally buy the thing they have been postponing for months. Your job is to make your offer feel timely, useful, and easy to say yes to. The Biggest Mistake Businesses Make During Refund Season The biggest mistake businesses make during refund season is assuming customers will connect the dots on their own. They won’t. Humans love having money and then immediately finding twelve unrelated ways to spend it. You must position your offer so it feels relevant to this moment. How to Create a Great Refund Offer Start with the right angle. Refund spending usually falls into a few categories: practical fixes, overdue replacements, personal rewards, family spending, and future planning. If your marketing speaks to one of those motives, you’re far more likely to get attention than if you simply run a generic sale. A home service business, for example, should not just announce a discount. It should frame the offer around finally tackling the repair, cleanup, or upgrade customers have been putting off. A salon or spa should position services as a treat-after-tax-season reward. A retailer should spotlight wardrobe refreshes, spring updates, or bundle deals that feel a little indulgent but still smart. A professional service firm can offer a package that helps people invest in themselves or get organized for the rest of the year. You don’t need a complicated campaign. You just need fast, simple, easy to imagine marketing that leads people to spend with you. The Smart Splurge Offer One of the easiest plays is the “smart splurge” offer . Many buyers want to their refund without feeling irresponsible. Create a package that feels like a treat but is clearly positioned as a good value. A boutique could offer a spring style bundle. A med spa could create a glow-up package. A restaurant could promote a limited dinner-for-two experience. A home decor store could feature a room refresh collection. The message is not “spend your refund here.” It’s “put part of that extra cash toward something that actually feels good. You deserve it.” The “Finally Get it Done” Campaign Another quick win is the “ finally get it done” campaign . This is ideal for contractors, auto shops, dentists, cleaning companies, organizers, landscapers, and repair services. These offers may not be as sexy as the splurge, but it’s a great way to capture the attention of people who have been putting off a necessary expense because everyday bills keep getting in the way. Your marketing should speak directly to that tension: “Been putting this off? Now is a great time to take care of it.” That kind of message connects relief with action. Prepaid Packages Prepaid packages are also strong during refund season. If you offer a service people use repeatedly, sell bundles. Think fitness classes, salon visits or treatments, car washes, dog grooming, chiropractic sessions, meal prep, tutoring, or marketing consultations. Customers are more willing to commit when they have a little cash cushion, and you improve your immediate cash flow. Everyone gets to feel responsible. Upgrades Limited-time upgrades work especially well too. Instead of discounting your core offer, add value. A photographer can include extra edited images. A furniture store can add free delivery. A service business can include an extended consultation, bonus maintenance visit, or premium add-on. This protects your pricing while making the purchase feel more worthwhile. Gift Card Bonuses Gift card bonuses are another smart move that can be implemented quickly. Offer something like “Buy a $100 gift card, get $20 extra.” This is especially effective for restaurants, salons, boutiques, family entertainment businesses, and specialty retail. It works for self-purchasers and for people who want to stretch refund money across multiple visits. Messaging Matters Your messaging matters as much as the offer. Keep it benefit-focused. Instead of “We’re having a refund sale,” try language like: “Use your tax refund to finally tackle that project.” “Put your refund toward a spring refresh you’ll enjoy all season.” “Catch up on the service you’ve been putting off.” “Invest in something that makes your life easier.” “Treat yourself without breaking the bank.” That last part matters. Customers do not want to feel reckless. They want to feel smart, a little rewarded, and slightly ahead for once. Also, don’t ignore existing customers. Refund season is a great reactivation opportunity. Send a message to past clients with a timely reason to come back now. “Haven’t seen you in a while” becomes much more effective when paired with a relevant seasonal offer. Speed matters more than perfection here. The tax filing deadline for most individual filers was April 15, 2026, and refunds continue rolling out after that, especially for procrastinators who took it down to the wire and others who have been thinking about the smartest way to spend it. This is a live window, not a theoretical one and it’s time to start using it if you haven’t already. Again, you don’t need a massive campaign. You need a timely offer, a clear message, and a fast way to get in front of buyers who finally have a little room to act. Tax refund season is one of those moments when good marketing is less about brilliance and more about relevance. Show people how your business fits what they want to do with that money right now, and you give them a much easier reason to choose you. Read More: Holiday Gift Card Strategies for Small Business Season Revenue Without Regret: Designing Offers You're Proud to Sell Win at First Impressions ---------- 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: @metcalfwriting Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor LinkedIn: @christinametcalf5