Marketing a small business can be a daunting task for the owner that has no previous marketing experience.
I was in that position many years ago and I remember having a constant struggle to come up with ideas or ways to market my business on a shoestring budget.
Yet, around a holiday it was usually easy to dream up a promotion of one sort or another based on that holiday's theme.
It's pretty easy and natural to promote a New Year's Kickoff, a 4th of July Firecracker Deal, or a Halloween Spooky Special.
I've compiled a list of holidays and events in 2008 that could become the basis of one of your solo business promotions this coming year.
You can certainly use this list beyond 2008, however, many of these dates are "floating" meaning the exact date changes each year.
So be sure to check the exact holiday dates for 2009 and beyond.
Jan 1 New Year's Day
Jan 6 Epiphany
Jan 21 Martin Luther King's Birthday
Jan 17 Benjamin Franklin's Birthday
Jan 23 John Hancock's Birthday
Jan 31 Islamic New Year
Feb 1 National Freedom Day
Feb 2 Groundhog Day
Feb 6 Ash Wednesday
Feb 7 Chinese New Year
Feb 11 Thomas Edison's Birthday
Feb 12 Abraham Lincoln's Birthday
Feb 14 Valentine's Day
Feb 18 President's Day
Feb 19 Eastern Orthodox Lent
Feb 20 Mardi Gras
Feb 22 George Washington's Birthday
Mar 2 Read Across America Day
Mar 8 International Women's Day
Mar 9 Daylight Savings
Mar 16 Palm Sunday
Mar 17 St. Patrick's Day
Mar 20 Vernal Equinox
Mar 21 Good Friday
Mar 23 Easter Sunday
Apr 1 April Fool's Day
Apr 1 Eastern Orthodox Palm Sunday
Apr 3 First Day of Passover
Apr 6 National Tartan Day
Apr 6 Eastern Orthodox Good Friday
Apr 8 Eastern Orthodox Easter
Apr 13 Thomas Jefferson's Birthday
Apr 19 Passover Begins
Apr 22 Earth Day
Apr 23 Administrative Professional's Day
Apr 27 Arbor Day
May 1 Ascension Day
May 3 National Prayer Day
May 5 Cinco de Mayo
May 11 Mother's Day
May 19 Armed Forces Day
May 19 Victoria Day
May 25 Ascension Day
May 26 Memorial Day
Jun 5 World Environment Day
Jun 6 D- Day
Jun 14 Flag Day
Jun 15 Father's Day
Jun 21 Summer Solstice
Jul 1 Canada Day
Jul 4 Independence Day
Jul 24 Pioneer Day
Aug 4 Civic Holiday
Sep 1 Labor Day
Sep 9 Grandparent's Day
Sep 11 Patriot Day
Sep 13 First Day of Rosh Hashanah
Sep 17 Constitution Day
Sept 21 Yom Kippur Begins
Sep 23 Autumnal Equinox
Sep 24 Family Day
Oct 8 Yom Kippur Begins
Oct 13 Columbus Day
Oct 13 Canadian Thanksgiving
Oct 16 National Bosses Day
Oct 20 Sweetest Day
Oct 31 Halloween
Nov 1 All Saints Day
Nov 2 Daylight Savings (ends)
Nov 4 Election Day
Nov 11 Veteran's Day
Nov 11 Canadian Remembrance Day
Nov 15 Great American Smokeout
Nov 17 World Peace Day
Nov 22 Stop the Violence Day
Nov 27 Thanksgiving
Dec 1 World Aids Day
Dec 7 Pearl Harbor Day
Dec 10 Human Rights Day
Dec 15 Bill of Rights Day
Dec 21 Hanukkah Begins
Dec 21 Forefather's Day
Dec 22 Winter Solstice
Dec 24 Christmas Eve
Dec 25 Christmas
Dec 26 Boxing Day (Canada)
Dec 28 Islamic New Year's Begins
Dec 31 New Year's Eve
