Midweek Halloween celebrations are tricky, aren’t they? At least if it was Thursday, we could just take a three day weekend, but Wednesday? We all have to work the next morning! Kids gotta go to school. And taking off work early to go join in the festivities just doesn’t feel…well, practical. We’ve got things to do. Especially if you don’t have kids and you did your celebrating last weekend — today could feel like just another Wednesday.
Entrepreneurs, freelancers, and business owners often get into their field so that they have more control over their schedule. What they don’t tell you when you get started is you can often feel like you have less control; after all, you don’t have an office to leave, or a boss to tell you ‘good job, see you tomorrow!’ You just have your own long list of to-dos, and when that list gets overwhelming we want to buckle down, power through, and just. Keep. Working.
So when Halloween rolls around in the middle of the week? Well, maybe we’ll just have a pumpkin spice latte and work until 10 pm again anyway.
I’m here to tell you why that’s not a great idea. And I’m not going to talk about self-care.
Don’t get me wrong; self-care is important! But you already knew that, didn’t you? Which is why I’m going to go over something else, something you might not have thought of:
Participating in Halloween can be good for business.
And I don’t just mean participating while you’re at work. I mean actually taking a half day off, closing your computer, and getting involved in the festivities. Halloween is a community event; neighbors and kiddos will be coming to your door, someone down the street might be having a party, the community center might be having a harvest-themed bingo night — whatever it is, people are getting together! And guess who makes up 100% of your customer base?
That’s right: People.
New entrepreneurs can often get lost in that long list of to-dos, stuck at their computer or office all day (and night), probably getting piles of work done but missing out on the people they need to connect with. Getting involved in your community as a representative of your business doesn’t just build relationships, it can build customer loyalty, attract new and better talent, increase brand awareness, and more. Participating in community events isn’t just a way to relax and enjoy yourself (although it certainly is that) — it’s a way for new people to see you and your business in a positive light, build trust, and ultimately learn more about your work and product.
A lot of things we do in business are check marks: we finish something, we check it off. We know we’re making progress.
But a lot of things can’t be measured by a mark — they’re part of a long game, an investment of time and relationships that slowly but steadily builds stability for your company.
Investing in your community — even just in your own neighborhood — can ultimately make a powerful difference in your business trajectory. Those investments over time are what can make the difference between a company that’s barely getting by — and a company that’s standing profitably on it’s own two feet.
So what are you doing still reading this?
Log off. Go home! And go enjoy the festivities. Your business will be better with a little community.
