Dog treats may be a hit with animal lovers. Give away cookies in the shape of a dog bone… wrap them individually in cello with a little bow, add your business card and pass out at networking events or in your establishment. I purchased the dog bone shaped cookie cutter at a local craft store, took it to my local grocer/baker and they made me 1,000 cookies for this promotion.  I also took them on trays to local radio and TV stations delivered by a local actor in a “Scooby Do” – like costume.

July 1st is Zip Code Day ~ Did you know that you can check the demographics of the area surrounding your business? You can go to MelisssaData.com and type in your zip code in the Home sales (Get the monthly home sales and selling price by ZIP Code) and Locations/Demographics sections (eg. US Demographics lists census info for almost every US City). Once done, you will receive an instead report which includes how many people in your area are married, their ages, how much homes sold for during the year. This tool is a great way to keep abreast of economic changes and trends in your marketplace. Also, if you want to do local direct marketing it will help you narrow your target and spend money where it would make a difference instead of putting an ad in something like a local newspaper and wondering if anyone sees.