6 Markets You’re Overlooking

As we settle into 2020, now is the perfect time to prepare for a prosperous new year and lay the groundwork needed to continue growing sales well into the future. Avoid the rut of sticking to the same old groups, or worse, leaving money on the table, and consider a thoughtful new way to grab hold of selling opportunities that are all around you.

To help get you there, here are six types of groups to target to expand your business and grow sales.

1. Nonprofit Organizations

As a local business and community leader, you have a unique ability to support local causes and communities in a way that larger corporations or chains cannot. Nonprofit organizations to keep in mind include animal shelters, churches, public schools and libraries, charities, and volunteer service organizations. Pitch how your company can help a school team raise funds to attend a competition, support the community in their quest to raise money for cancer research, or raise money for families caught in tragedy.

2. Healthcare

While servicing hospitals and clinics in need of scrubs is beneficial, you’re likely looking over less common healthcare facilities and programs. Expand your target market to other avenues like doctors’ offices, dental offices, skincare and dermatology labs, nursing homes, physical therapists, birthing centers, and mental health clinics. Aside from scrubs and lab coats, healthcare facilities also request things like professional employee apparel. Think polos, slacks, and jackets, in addition to branded items like totes, drinkware, and lunch bags.

3. Safety & Rescue

Safety in the workplace is critical in many industries, and these employees need gear and apparel that will keep them safe, as well as ensure they are compliant with regulations such as those enforced by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Consider working with businesses in industries like mining, construction, steel, trucking, public safety, logging, aviation, waste management, road work, agriculture, and electricians. Similarly, public safety organizations such as police and the military all need products that will keep them safe and represent who they serve.

4. Fitness

The power of the athleisure trend is just one sign of the impact of fitness and physical wellness in our society today. There are a variety of fitness-related groups and tribes, ranging from big-box fitness facilities to community meetups and boutique studios. Approaching well-established facilities in your area can be beneficial in offering seasonal products, gym member challenge apparel, or event-based items. And be sure not to overlook the value of reaching out to community running or biking meet-ups, boutique yoga or pilates studios, individual CrossFit or kickboxing gyms, and local competitions for team sports or weightlifting.

5. Greek Life

Few people are as committed to repping their tribe as sororities and fraternities, and they are continually looking for new ways to show off their association. Approaching these groups with unique, quality products and modern forms of ordering their gear aligns with the more youthful buying experience familiar to millennials and Gen Z. Check local college and university sites to see which Greek groups are in your area.

6. Political Campaigns

While the 2020 presidential election is undoubtedly top of mind this year, most people don’t realize that elections happen every single year in the United States. Presidential campaigns happen every four years; congressional elections occur every two years, and state and local races happen every single year. Each of these candidates has a support group that rallies around them, all needing ways to express their support for their candidate.

Taking a fresh look at some of these groups will open your eyes to new potential sales channels, and propel you toward further success with those you serve!