It’s easy to get sidetracked throughout the year and forget community events you should have participated in, seasonal promotions you needed to run or national holidays you wanted to promote.
Get organized by creating a pharmacy promotions calendar to keep track of every significant date, so important events don’t slip through the cracks.
This calendar should detail when you run promotions, it should indicate important conferences you want to attend and national health observances you want to participate in. Create a pharmacy promotions calendar today, and start plotting your year out week-by-week.
Here’s a checklist you can use to make sure your calendar includes all of the important dates you want to remember. This list is not exhaustive, but it can help you start creating your own calendar.
Health holidays and observances
Keep track of national health observances you want to promote in your pharmacy. These are special days, weeks or months aimed at raising awareness about designated health conditions. You can check out healthfinder.gov to get ideas about national health observances you might want to celebrate in your pharmacy.
Here are a few health holidays to get you started:
- American Heart Month, February
- National Public Health Week, First week of April
- Men’s Health Week, June 13-19, 2016
- American Pharmacist Month, October
- Global Hand Washing Day, Oct. 15
- National Physical Therapy Month, October
- National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, October
- International Infection Prevention Week, Oct. 18-24
- World Diabetes Day, Nov. 14
Small business holidays
Don’t miss out on celebrating holidays dedicated specifically to small businesses. These celebrations can bring in new business. Be sure to participate in any community events related to these holidays. And, consider partnering with other local businesses to hold events, promotions, and giveaways.
Small business holidays you can celebrate include:
- National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day, March 29
- National Small Business Week, varies in May
- Independent Retailer Month, July
- Small Business Saturday, the first Saturday in November after Black Friday
National holidays
Celebrate national holidays at your pharmacy by offering relevant discounts, such as 10 percent off sunscreen products before Independence Day, or buy-one-get-one half off on travel size products around Memorial Day. Celebrating these holidays can bring people into your pharmacy and connect your pharmacy to national celebrations.
Some national holidays you can celebrate include:
- New Year, Jan. 1
- Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14
- St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, 2017
- Easter, April 16, 2017
- Mother’s Day, Second Sunday in May
- Memorial Day, Last Monday in May
- Father’s Day, Third Sunday in June
- Independence Day, July 4
- Grandparents’ Day, Sept. 11, 2016
- Halloween, Oct. 31
- Veterans Day, Nov. 11, 2016
- Thanksgiving, Nov. 24, 2016
- Christmas, Dec. 25
Area events
Be sure to add relevant community gatherings to your calendar, such as a local summer festival you sponsor or an annual 5k race you volunteer at. Scheduling the dates of local health fairs in advance will give you plenty of time to plan.
Some examples of area events include:
- School graduations
- Back-to-school events
- Health fairs
- Summer festivals
- 5k races
- Parades
- Charity events
Annual promotions
Schedule your annual promotions and events, and reminders for anything you need to do to plan those promotions, on your calendar.
Be sure to also mark relevant planning dates, such as when you need to sign up for the annual conferences you plan to attend, so you don’t miss any important registration deadlines.
Some important annual dates to mark might include:
- Flu shot clinics
- Seasonal promotions for spring, summer, fall and winter
- Registration deadlines and conference dates
- Customer appreciation day or week
Important personal dates
Don’t forget to add dates that are important to you personally, such as the anniversary of your pharmacy’s opening, to your promotions calendar.
Some of these dates might include:
- Long-time, loyal patients’ birthdays
- Anniversary of your pharmacy opening
- Employees’ birthdays
- Annual trips, vacations or company retreats
Use these tips to start planning your next pharmacy event.
