What are some spring-cleaning activities shops often forget about?

Something that I typically advise people to do throughout the year is to take the time for “spring-cleaning” of their database.

For a lot of shops, springtime isn’t always the most optimal time to declutter and organize. The best time is during a dip in business, which commonly happens in the middle of the summer, as well as during the last two weeks of the year. These are both great times to take the initiative to get your clients in order and cleaned up. If you have do find some time this spring, start with your database.

To clean up your database, first, make sure the info in your customer database is accurate. People change phone numbers, emails, addresses, etc. Take a month to contact every single person in your database to verify information. Second, ask them, “How frequently would you like to hear from us?” If they order once a year, don’t bombard them with a marketing message every month. However, if they order at least once each month, weekly contact shouldn’t be seen as a nuisance. Also, ask, “What is the best means of communication for you?” They’ll give you their best way to contact them, whether it be via email, catalog, social media, text message updates, etc.

Cleaning up your database is one of the most important things you can do for your business.

—Your Personal Business Trainer