10 Tips to planning a calendar of promotions in your consignment, resale or thrift shop. 

Start with a calendar that has the major holidays marked.  Now that you know, for example, that Super Bowl Sunday is February 1, you know when to start planning for any event or celebration you deem appropriate for your business.

Add local events to your calendar. This may take some research: when is the Mardi Gras Ball that you can market for? (You'll want to order fancy feather masks, highlight all the sequin gowns, and so on.) Homecoming? The Festival of the Swallows?

Add store events. Anniversary, seasonal clearance, whatever you offer as a recurring event or would like to make into an annual celebration. One shopkeeper celebrated her dachshund's birthday every year with free hot dogs, canine gifts, doggie treats and adoptable animals from the shelter. The name of the event? Hot Dog Days, of course (although I have my suspicions that August 1st wasn't really Otto's birthday, but rather that she needed something fun at that time of year.)

You'll want to have some sort of event about every 6-8 weeks. They don't all need to be big events, though. If you've run out of ideas, check your copy of 229 Promotional Events for Resale & Consignment Shops PLUS Promotions Step-by-Step  Remember to keep a goal in mind: is this event designed to attract new faces? Help clear out seasonal goods before your big sale? Introduce a new category of merchandise or stimulate sales in a slow period? These events don't have to be big splashy things, and they mustn't always involve reduced prices, but they do have to be amusing, rewarding to the participant, and newsworthy.

Now, plan your event for maximum impact and profitability. The worksheets in Promote with PIZZAZZ  will be a boon here. Set a budget for each event, keeping in mind your ROI. You'll need to consider immediate monetary return first of course, but don't underestimate the lasting returns on your image and word-of-mouth. And of course, your budget is not only monetary but effort and time sensitive as well. Every event you do will become easier, but don't over-reach your limits if you want a promotion that will make a splash!

Count backwards to set your tasks. Everything from deciding on a name to special offers, to any supplies or decor needed and your advertising venues and campaigns need to be scheduled. Who will do what when? If you have more than a handful of staffers, it's best to appoint someone as Lead Promo Person, so all communications go through her/him. This should not be you, since you'll be looking ahead to the next event at the same time you're anticipating this one.

Consider what to do if things go awry. The T shirts don't arrive in time: what will you use as a substitute, and where can they be purchased? What if it rains on your Plant a Tree event? 

Record all the details. You'll want to take note of everything from your budget to whether there were enough hot dogs and too much root beer so the next time you do a similar event, it'll be easier and less expensive.

What if your event was a bust? Before deciding not to do anything like it again, take a hard look at what might have contributed to its failure. Were you competing against an insurmountable obstacle (the town's biggest football game?) or did you neglect to fully publicize your event and motivate folks? 

Ditto if your event was a success: Before deciding to repeat, analyze! Was it the face-painting that drew the crowds...or was it that the face painter publicized her appearance in your shop far and wide? Then repeat, for all your future events, what made this one a success! 

Planning your promotional year is all very well. But if you're not organized, you'll never get around to doing those events! How some Sharers keep organized:

Peggy: I email the store from home with to do lists.

Deb McD: I call and leave myself a message!! I'm also an avid list maker-even if I forget the list, I can kinda visualize what I wrote down.

Jessica: If a lot of what you need is on a computer,  PCAnywhere by Symantec is a life saver! It allows you to operate your store computer from home and vice versa. 

Kate: A square-bottomed canvas tote plus a clipboard or plastic see-thru envelope for notes. That way, physical things and lists get where they are going. My staff knew to clip (with spring clothes pins) notes to me to the tote rather than rely upon my remembering it in the middle of a hectic day. The tote's square bottom meant it sat upright, easy to toss things in, obvious to remove and do something WITH whatever was in it. 

Add a yearly diary. In it, record when you started planning your St Pat's event, when you called Yellow Pages to change your ad, daily/ weekly/ monthly/ YTD sales figures, exceptional happenings (even name and phone of a customer who offered to help, had an in with a specific group, etc.) This diary functioned as a "Beat Last Year", scheduling reminder, and contact database.  I remember and think about things a lot better if I write them down rather than keyboard them.

Bonnie: Like Kate, I use a big tote bag back and forth from home to the store everyday. It usually goes full both ways - clothes that need washing, bills, notes get put in the bag all day. Then I deal with it when I get home, and start filling it up with stuff to go back to the store. My daytimer lives in the tote unless I am using it. Still, I always manage to forget something!

Janis: A "phone message book" that is in duplicate with a post-it note feature. I or employees write notes & phone numbers and take/send them home so I can remember to do stuff ... and the copy is there at the store in case I forgot! I also keep old books to keep track of things. I have a tote bag/brief case that I carry the papers & bills back & forth. I use vinyl pencil cases for each day of the week - whoever closes will put the daily reports, receipts, messages and backup disk in them. Usually, it's me who closes, but the idea is that anyone can keep up with all the daily stuff. I keep the past couple days at home and rotate them - each day has a backup disk, so I actually have 6 historical backups.

Connie: Go with a voice recorder. You can buy those for around $30. Also you could leave yourself or employees a voice memo on the answering machine. (That is, if your machine has this feature)

Rachel: ...consider a pda. I used to have all these little slips of paper, which I would subsequently lose... I kept buying new and better planners, but I just couldn't make them work for me. I switched to a pda and it's been a life saver. Not only does it remind me of my appointments, I have it set up to remind me when it's time to file taxes, do payroll, make payments, etc... Recurring tasks don't need to be entered but one time. I keep running notes with shopping lists, errands etc.

MarKay: My method is kind of primitive, but effective. I tape or staple a Post-It note around the handle of my purse.

My personal 2 Best Tips: Use a clear over-the-door shoe organizer bag to hold tagging and other back-room supplies. 
And (promise you won't laugh) I use clothes pins to clip notes to myself (well, my clothes, really) as I gallivant around the store. 
Tip #2 1/2: Call yourself: when you think of something super-important, leave a message for yourself on your phone. Just don't let anyone catch you doing it or you'll feel really silly. Trust me.