With back to school anxiety over with and life hopefully getting back into a rhythm, October is a great month to start pushing holiday campaigns beginning with Halloween.
Below is a printable calendar for October 2023. Hopefully this easy reference can help you plan events, sales, and marketing. You certainly don’t need to create something for every day, do pick the days that work best for your business and brand.
1st – Change a Light Day
The spirit of the day is to reflect on how energy efficient your lighting is. While that is a great idea, I want to focus on shortening daylight and making sure your lights are replaced and ready to highlight products. Spotlights are a great way to focus eyes onto product displays https://amzn.to/43pHftu
2nd – National Name Your Car Day
Who doesn’t have a name for their car? A great way of interacting with customers and clients without directly marketing products to them. Get some discussion going on social media. Maybe even have a contest looking for the coolest car name.
4th – National Taco Day
Like pizza and cheeseburgers, tacos are a staple in the food pyramid. Take the day to celebrate those crunchy delights and generate some engagement. Chain restaurants usually offer some sort of deals on this day as well. If you have a cafe built into your business, offer that special deal on tacos!
5th – National Get Funky Day
Get Funky Day isn’t just about funk music or culture. It’s also about getting out of your comfort zone and letting loose. Find a way to break out of your comfort zone and encourage others to do the same. Maybe it’s trying a new game or hobby.
5th – Do Something Nice Day
Today is a great day to check in one-on-one with each employee. Or, if you’re able, give back to your staff. Provide lunch, a private screening of the newest blockbuster movie, or whatever feels right to make a positive impact and lift them up. For your customers, a small inexpensive giveaway, like any leftover stickers from Sticker Day in January. Today also makes a great day to use as a volunteer or fundraiser for a local charity.
6th – Inbox Zero Day
Emails, we all get them. I’ll bet most of us have hundreds, if not thousands of emails sitting in our inboxes. Take today as a challenge to focus on getting through some of those emails. As time is quickly disappearing for the fourth quarter, take the moment to clear out what you can of your email inbox.
8th – National Hero Day
Today isn’t necessarily about celebrating superheroes, but celebrating those people in our lives that we see as personal heroes. Maybe it’s recognizing an employee that went above and beyond, maybe it’s about a customer who did something extra. Find those people and celebrate them today.
9th – National Chess Day
As one of the original board games, Chess has existed in one form or another since the fifth century. Promote those special edition chess sets, set up a learn-to-play table, and invite customers to learn more about this classic game.
9th – Beer and Pizza Day
While there are multiple beer days and a pizza day floating around, today we celebrate both at the same time. If you have a bar or restaurant as part of your business, it’s a great excuse to advertise and promote two of your highest-margin items. If you don’t carry one or the other, pick up a few pizza’s for your staff and give them some recognition.
9th – Native American Day/Columbus Day
While Columbus Day is a federal holiday, many states now celebrate Native American Day or Indigenous People’s Day to celebrate the tribes and cultures of those living in America before colonists arrived. Larger retailers will use this long weekend for sales.
10th – World Mental Health Day
Talking more about mental health takes the stigma away and encourages more people to reach out for help. Gaming and hobbies are often escapes from mental stress. It’s important to create safe spaces both in-store and on social media
11th – National Stop Bullying Day
Bullying comes in many forms and is not limited to just schools. Bullying can lead to more serious issues and sometimes even suicide. Today would be a good day to promote the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and the Suicide National Hopeline.
11th – National Bring Your Teddy Bear to Work Day
Nothing is more comforting than your old teddy bear pal. Didn’t have a teddy bear, I’m sure you can get by with whatever squishable stuffed animal you had. Stores with any kind of plushie or stuffed toy can take advantage of this day.
13th – International Day for Failure
Originally started as an experiment at the Aalto University in Finland to help increase small start-up businesses, which in turn increases economic growth. Take today to look back at this year and look at what events, clearance days, sales, coupons, email campaigns, social media posts, or any other aspect of your business has been a total failure and pick out the things that have and haven’t worked. For the start of your next year’s plan, build upon those failures and make them work it. “I haven’t failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” – Benjamin Franklin
13th – Friday the 13th
Plan something spooky!
15th – National Shawarma Day
Not only is shawarma one of the tastiest Middle Eastern methods for cooking meat, but it’s also the Avenger’s go-to post-fight meal. Ever since the Avengers post-credit scene shawarma has finally gotten the spotlight it deserves.
16th – National Boss’s Day
If you are reading this you are likely a small business boss and should really take a moment to thank and appreciate your bosses; your customers and staff. Create a celebration around them! Small give away, catered food, or something as simple as an open letter posted to your website and social media, thanking your “bosses” for all of their support and hard work.
18th – Chocolate Cupcake Day
Chocolate is great. Cupcakes are great. Put them together, wonderful! Use this as a chance to work with a local bakery to cross-promote. If you sell baked goods as part of your business plan, add chocolate cupcakes to your specials or advertisements. At minimum, hit up a bulk warehouse store and pick up a dozen or two cupcakes to reward staff with a sweet treat.
18 – Support Your Local Chamber of Commerce Day
If you’re a member of your local Chamber of Commerce make a shout out to them and all they do to help businesses and the community. If you’re not, take the time to learn what your local Chamber is all about and see if it’s a right fit for you.
19th – New Friends Day
While Make a Friend Day is in February, this is more focused on the new friends you have. For us, today is a great day to refocus on new releases as the fourth quarter is in full swing. Refresh your demo tables, schedule a learn to play event, or focus on a new beginners league that you already run. Here is a link to our YouTube for some quick and easy introduction videos to various games.
19th – Get to Know Your Customers Day
Building better relationships with your customers helps to build a better business. Ask your customers questions, follow up on recent purchases, and talk with other businesses on what their approach is.
20th – National Youth Confidence Day
Believe it or not, competitive tabletop gaming like Magic or Pokemon helps build youth confidence. Being able to accept losing a game or a match and continue to play and work on getting better has a positive effect on confidence. Today would be a great time to remind others of this connection.
21st – Back to the Future Day
Today is the day Marty McFly traveled into the “future” to 2015. Back to the Future is one of the all time great movie classics and a geek icon. You can’t go wrong with celebrating this day.
21st – Count your Buttons Day
While this is a more older dated fun day, where you are quite literally supposed to count the buttons you see in the day, every pair of pants, button up shirts and so on. We can take a different approach on this and create a small marketable event. Create a button day! Bring in a button maker like this https://amzn.to/43vKW0X then make and give away buttons of various cards or print off a bunch of your businesses logo and make them into buttons.
22nd – Make a Dog’s Day
Do we need another reason to set up a charity event to help your local animal shelter? Yes. Always.
29th – National Cat Day
When they’re not breaking the internet with cute videos, cats also make great companions. Shelters are full of cats that need homes. If you have one nearby, connect with them and see if you help promote their efforts to find loving homes for these adorable animals.
31st – Halloween
Ideas for this holiday would be too many to list. Pick one or two and run with them.
