freebies

Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, & Cyber Monday

Thanksgiving is two days away for those in the USA, and besides us honoring the traditions of cramming our faces full of turkey, stuffing, and cranberry, you’ll be able to stuff ALL your stockings with gifts from the many deals that go on after the Thanksgiving Holiday. Welcome in Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday.

Black Friday Walmart
Image Courtesy of Wikipedia Commons

 

Black Friday

One of the best known shopping days of the year, Black Friday falls the day after Thanksgiving. Many retailers open early, some open at midnight, offering insane deals you normally wouldn’t find any other day of the year.

Small Business Saturday

Shop Small - AmexCreated by American Express in 2010, after they realized with all the largest brands and retailers offering amazing deals, what’s the incentive to shop small? The deals are better at the large corporate stores. That’s where American Express came into play and started Small Business Saturday, offering $25 to their Cardmembers whenever they shop small on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, dubbed Small Business Saturday.

If you want to take advantage of Small Business Saturday and get a free $25 back on your American Express statement, you must register your American Express card through their website before 11:59pm on November 24th, 2012, and make a qualifying purchase on Small Business Saturday.

For your purchase to Qualify:

  • Your card must be enrolled (See above on how to register your card)
  • Only in-store purchases qualify. Online purchases do NOT.
  • Your purchase must be at a qualifying Small Business. Visit AMEX to find out where to shop.
  • Your purchase must total $25 or more, in one transaction.
Cyber Monday Sales
Image courtesy of Marin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Cyber Monday

Originally dubbed Cyber Monday in 2005, it is the Monday after Thanksgiving in which many people would rather search for deals online from the comfort of their own home(or work even) instead of fighting the hordes of people during Black Friday. Sounds way safer after hearing some of the crazy Black Friday stories of people being injured by stampeding shoppers.

It’s not just big brands that offer deals on Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, or Cyber Monday. We know the biggest deals everyone looks at are in electronics, but don’t worry, even Silly Farm and FABAtv have some killer Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals for all the painters out there.

FABAtv Black Friday Contest

Kindle FireFABAtv is giving away a free Kindle Fire on Black Friday to one lucky subscriber! The catch? Just subscribe to FABAtv on Black Friday and you’re entered in the drawing! It’s that simple, and a FABAtv subscription starts at only $29.99. If you take advantage of the FABAtv annual subscription, not only will you be entered in the Kindle Fire drawing, but you’ll receive a free $50 gift card to Silly Farm!

Silly Farm Supplies Black Friday & Cyber Monday Deals

Black Friday & Cyber Monday Silly Farm Deals
Silly Farm Supplies is having a slew of discounts and freebies on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
You will need to sign up your email address to the Silly Farm newsletter to receive all the codes to use for your discounts on Black Friday.
On Cyber Monday they will be offering free shipping to the continental US on all orders over $25!

Freebies – Business Cards, Tutorials, & Consulting

This article is a submission from Artist Alley. Click here to view it on Artist Alley.
When you’re just getting your business started, the onslaught of expenses can be staggering. After all, it takes money to make money – right? Definitely…but sometimes the best things in life are FREE!

Getting Started

Every new business needs a website, which I found to be one of my most daunting tasks. Web designers are expensive, and it’s easy to get taken advantage of when you don’t know much about web development. Check out our last article about websites and you’ll be well on your way to getting started for free, with minimal technical knowledge.
Business card examples
Business cards are an absolute essential for networking; you never know where you’ll be when someone asks for your information. Pulling out a stylish business card looks much more professional than scrambling to jot down your number on some scrap paper you found in your purse. Vista Print and Zazzle both offer free business cards, with plenty of design templates to choose from.
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If your business involves selling merchandise, check out the United States Postal Service‘s array of free shipping supplies. You can “purchase” your supplies online, and have it shipped right to your door.

Education & Designs

The education process is endless. You may have already “learned” your trade, but keeping up with the latest trends and techniques takes some serious dedication. While I recommend saving up for workshops and conventions, it’s understandably expensive. Keep your skills fresh between classes by dabbling around on Youtube; there’s tutorials for everything from cheek art to prosthetics, henna, and more. Some of the biggest names in face & body art keep active channels, full of advice and tutorials.

Check out Silly Heather and Jinny for starts!
Heather Green - Face PainterJinny Makeup Artist

Business Consulting

Even with all of the right supplies and talent, a small business can fizzle out if you’re not prepared for the management end of things. SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) is a nonprofit consulting service for entrepreneurs to help you build your business from a solid foundation. In addition to their free business counseling services, they host low cost workshops and webinars.

Managing your money and resources from the start will afford you more success in the long run. Fancy business cards and high end websites are great, but pace yourself! Grow your business thoughtfully; every penny matters.

Wishing you all so much success,
Caitlin St. Angelo