Concerns When Promoting a Local Business

Employee safety is the #1 concern when promoting local businesses

Summertime in Arizona is different than many other areas of the country. When temperatures rise well above 100 degrees, and the importance of staying hydrated cannot be understated. Local business owners need to consider the unique weather conditions in Arizona when they review their strategies for driving exposure to their business or event.

Many businesses employ people to hold/wave signs in high visibility areas to draw attention to their business or upcoming sale, event, or new location. While placing business imagery in front of potential customers is key to increasing exposure and sales, it’s not always executed in the most efficient way.

There is no doubt that hiring someone to wave a sign on the street definitely captures the attention of people driving by; however, in the heat of the summer months it can be dangerous for employees to spend long periods of time in the sun. This can force businesses to hire multiple employees for this one position, in an effort to cut down on shift time. This also creates a liability situation for local business owners. If they are going to have someone holding a sign outside, they must be diligent in making sure their employee is properly hydrated and isn’t overexposed to the sun.

Employers are, in large part, responsible for the well-being of their employees. Placing employees in high-heat stress environments can be risky, but it can work if the right steps are taken to ensure their safety.

There are alternatives to having people promote your business in high visibility areas. One alternative is to not promote your business in this fashion during summer at all. This prevents possible complications related to employee safety, but also results in businesses losing exposure. If they aren’t gaining that visibility, their competitors surely will.

The other problem with avoiding this type of promotion during summer is that if there is a specific event that occurs during summer, business owners must figure out a way to safely promote the event.

A popular, safe alternative to human promotion is inflatable advertising. Whether it is a floating balloon with a message written on it, or a custom inflatable business logo, this can not only save business owners the hassle of dealing with employee safety and liability concerns, but they are more cost effective.

The biggest cost to an inflatable advertisement is the initial purchase (or renal fee). Beyond that inflatables don’t need to be paid to promote businesses or events, they will happily sit out there all day and draw attention to whatever they are promoting. While there will be a slight cost for electricity to keep the advertisement inflated, this cost is small in comparison to the reliability and ease of use that they bring.

For a longer-term investment, a solar power system can be set up so that inflatables are powered by the sun, which is perfect in sunny Arizona!

Regardless of what option is chosen for promotional advertising during the summer, it is extremely important that safety and hydration are always considered during the sweltering summer months.