Ok – so you have an extra day this year – what are you going to do with it?! Coming only once every four years, Leap Day, February 29, is a great opportunity for small-business owners to do something special for customers, suppliers, or even your favourite charities.
Some things you might not know about Leap Years:
- Leap Years were first introduced by Julius Caesar over 2000 years ago.
- Irish legend has it that St Brigid struck a deal with St Patrick to allow women to propose to men – and not just the other way around – every four years. This is believed to have been introduced to balance the traditional roles of men and women in a similar way to how leap day balances the calendar.
- People born on February 29 are all invited to join The Honor society of Leap Year Day Babies.
- In Scotland, it used to be considered unlucky for someone to be born on leap day.
- Greeks consider it unlucky for couples to marry during a leap year, and especially on Leap Day.
- Leap day is also St Oswald’s Day, named after the archbishop of York who died on February 29, 992.
Here are some ideas of how you could you use a Leap Year as a promotional opportunity for your small business or social enterprise:
- Offer a product or service that can only be taken up / redeemed on the day
- Donate your takings / % of profit for the day to your favourite charity or cause
- Host a ‘once in a four years lunch’ / event with your best customers / preferred suppliers
- Create a fun event to mark the day involving staff / customers / suppliers
I am offering 3 free half hour Skype sessions to 3 people who email me vickie@purplepyjamas.com.au with their details on Leap Day. Include your name, business URL and Skype name. Winners announced by 6pm on Leap Day.
How do you plan on spending Leap Day?