Father's Day

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     It is notoriously difficult to buy a gift that fathers truly appreciate. So, the upcoming Father's Day presents problems. It's barely two weeks away--Sunday, June 21, 2015.

     Moms will not like it when you buy her a new microwave oven for Mother's Day. The latest vacuum cleaner is not something she has in mind--that sends the wrong message. She wants something personal.

     That can be a key to thinking about gifts for dad. Most dads like tools and gadgets of all sorts. He might just love a new weed wacker or a new computer game or anything from Apple.

     Example: Oscar raises buffalo where the animals roam the farm. Every year he culls the herd, and he sends these animals off to a butchering operation. Back comes wrapped buffalo steaks, other cuts of meat, along with buffalo burgers. All the meat goes into Oscar's big freezer, ready for customers who come to his farm store or who order from his website. For Father's Day, Oscar makes a big push on social media and the orders come in. Cooking up a batch of buffalo burgers turns any grilling into a special occasion.  

     Example: Jon runs a collectibles operation. He specializes in sports memorabilia--baseball cards, football posters, golf videos, autographed anything, and the like. He has a small store, but mainly, sales come through his website. He promotes on social media--especially leading up to Father's Day. It is one of the biggest days of the year for Jon. Giving dad an autographed baseball will be treasured for years.

     Example: Edith runs an auto/truck accessories store. She stocks wheels, mats, truck caps and tool boxes, hitches, waxes and paints, and dozens of additional products. Leading up to Father's Day, Edith posts products and comments on social media. Orders arrive from people who have never thought about such gifts for dads. It has become one of Edith's big days for sales--from walk-ins and from her website. 

     Small businesses frequently miss sales opportunities on Father's Day. The key seems to be that they don't put themselves in the shoes of those who want unusual gifts for dad. 

     Gift certificates for dad might be easy for the giver. And dad can appreciate your thought while shopping for the things he hankers for. But nothing means so much as when dad points to the new shiny wheels on his truck and says to his friends: "My daughter gave me those."

     Small business owners need to think about the gifting problems people have. Not just for Father's Day, but other times as well.