Creating special events for clients

Consider starting annual, seasonal, or quarterly events to expand your client base and retain current clients. Be creative: Make your promotions fun; make them silly!

For instance, you could hire the Easter bunny to visit your office for a few days this spring. Take digital pictures of pets that visit your practice with the bunny, and e-mail them to pet owners to send out to their friends.

For the Fourth of July, you could give visiting pets patriotic bandanas. And in the fall, consider holding a Halloween costume contest and offer a prize or discount to the winner. Ask your clients to send in or drop off pictures of their pets dressed up, and post them in your office. Supply voting slips to anyone who comes in. Be sure to leave a space on the ballot for e-mail addresses. And to build awareness, promote your events in your e-newsletter or on your Web site the month before.

Use these simple suggestions to jump-start a brainstorming session with your team. You'll likely come up with more fun, cost-effective ideas that will keep clients coming back.

Sheila Higgs is a freelance writer based in Plano, Texas, and is the author of I've Seen the Clouds, Looking Beyond Hope (New Day Books, 2002).