Why September is the most important month of your year.
I have long held the belief that Labor Day is the most important date to have highlighted on the promotional calendar of any brick-and-mortar retail business. Why?
Simple. Before Labor Day everyone is making right-hand turns, and after Labor Day they are making left-hand turns.
The fact is that during this time of the year, families are switching from vacations to back-to-school; students are leaving part-time summer jobs and heading off to college; almost everyone is changing their traffic patterns. Even people who consistently go the same destinations throughout the year change the routes they are taking. Because traffic volume changes – drivers seek different routes, and at no time of the year is there a more massive long-term shift in destinations than in September.
This means traffic is up for grabs!
And businesses that do the best job promoting with signage and other promotions have the best chance of becoming “the preferred right-hand turn.” And for the car wash business, that is the simple objective in generating new traffic.
Think about the math. On an arterial roadway with 10,000 cars per week, a simple shift of “persistent daily users” of 20%, means there are 2,000 new potential customers that can be exposed to your business. That’s important.
September is when shifts in traffic patterns are being established, but more important, that means new HABITS are being established. Individuals are finding a new Starbuck’s or Caribou Coffee stop, a new Jiffy Lube or Rapid Oil Change service, perhaps a new convenience store or dry cleaner, based on their daily travel.
That means it’s a great time to gear up your business by…
- Adding new signage to your location that POPS!
- Starting new fundraising ideas with local schools and sport teams!
- Reaching out to local businesses for Fleet Accounts!
- Staying in front of your competitors!
- Make your services accessible to everyone with an app!
September is a great time to pump a little extra effort into your promotion and awareness- building signage.
Customers are out there starting to deciding which way to turn.
Make your wash the best right-hand turn they can make.