Black Friday Promotion Ideas for Your Foreclosure Cleanup and Real Estate Service Business

Black Friday is almost here, and many businesses, both large and small, are capitalizing off this frenzied shopping day. As a service business in the real estate contracting industry, you, too, can benefit from promoting your business during this busy holiday season.What is Black Friday?Black Friday is traditionally the Friday right after Thanksgiving Day in the United States. Though it’s not a formal holiday, many workers have the day off, and it’s the beginning of a holiday shopping frenzy.Depending on where you get your information, the term Black Friday dates back as far as 1869, when it referred to a financial crisis. In recent times, however, it’s most widely remembered as being associated with over-crowed streets and shopping outlets in Downtown Philadelphia back in 1966. Although its usage was primarily on the East coast, it has become a commonly used term in most parts of the United States today.When is Black Friday?Black Friday generally occurs some time between November 23rd and November 29th. According to data provided by Reuters, in 2007, well over one million individuals (135 million to be exact) took part in the shopping rush that was Black Friday.Longer than a 24-Hour PeriodIt seems every year the time period for Black Friday expands. Sales and specials are no longer isolated to that one day after Thanksgiving; merchants and service businesses can be seen starting their actual time period for promotions over a week early. And this year, especially, some promotions will be running well beyond midnight on the day after Thanksgiving and into the following month.Use the Expanded Time to Promote Your Foreclosure Cleanup BusinessAs a foreclosure cleanup business, you can certainly use this expanded promotion time to your advantage. It’s wise to plan to touch your clients with information about your business, specials and promotions.Ideas for Black Friday as a Real Estate Service Business1. Pricing Specials. As a service business, you can offer special prices: cleanout specials, debris removal specials, lawn care (trimming, pruning, limb removal), gutter cleaning and pressure washing specials, etc. Send out postcard coupons that can be redeemed well after the holiday season, but send them out during the Black Friday promotion period.2. Electronic Estimates. You can even offer quick electronic estimates. Though we don’t really advocate giving an estimate unless you actually see a property, you can let your clients know you will shoot them a ball-park, broad-range estimate via email during the busy holiday shopping season. Many realtors will take advantage of this to see if your pricing is in line with what they hope to pay for a service in the future.Remember, in the beginning phase of starting your business, you’ll be an “estimate machine.” So offering to give electronic, “broad range” estimates will give you a reason to contact clients using tactics outside of your normal business realm — and, more importantly, a reason to follow up with potential clients in the future to firm up your estimates by visiting properties.3. Electronic Discount Coupons. To add to the above, attach an electronic coupon to the estimate you forward to your potential client with a percentage off once the estimate is finalized.4. Meetings. You can contact your realtor clients and offer to host one of their in-house team meetings during November-December. (Bring a couple of boxes of donuts for the realtors.)During the meeting, you can choose to discuss the foreclosure cleanup industry and how you and your business can help them get their homes ready for the market faster. (Brokers appreciate guest speakers during team meetings — and free donuts! — because more realtors are likely to show up when there’s a free breakfast and informative outside speaker who can help them grow their business and generate more closed sales.)Quick Example: As a special promotion, for the products’ aspect of a foreclosure cleanup business, a “Foreclosure Cleanup Business in a Box” discount promotion was created as a Black Friday marketing tool to promote a line of books about the industry.TIP:Remember, if you’re giving discounts during Black Friday, make them deep for maximum promotion benefit. It’s what your clients will expect.Don’t Let this Crucial Promotion Time Pass You ByThese are just some ideas to get you thinking about Black Friday promotion ideas for your business. Don’t let this crucial promotion time pass you by. Brainstorm some ideas for your business.Good luck promoting your business during the holiday season and beyond!