What makes for a great Cash Mob? Choosing the right business!
In our experience, the right business is not the one on its last leg. Although it may help short-term, there are typically much bigger issues at play with those businesses that can’t be solved with promotion alone. So, what makes a great business to Cash Mob? We suggest looking at 5 selection criteria:
- Community Involvement & Engagement
- Track Record of Giving Back to the Community
- Years in Business (at the present location)
- Type of business
- Adequate Space and Staff
Community Involvement & Engagement is critical. If the business owner isn’t engaged in their local community, why should the community care about the local business? What do we mean by community involvement & engagement? Does the business owner belong to local organizations, attend & sponsor local events and even sponsor local teams? Are they known and liked in the community?
Track Record of Giving Back to the Community. Does the business donate products to local events? Do they support local schools and sponsor local teams? Are they known in the community as giving and charitable?
They need to be in business at least one year (preferably 3 years). If a business is less than a year old it’s unlikely that they’ve had the time to “get engaged” locally. To make a Cash Mob or a Lunch Mob successful, the business must have existing customers that they can leverage to help promote the event. They should be active participants in local business groups like Chambers of Commerce, Business Associations, and Community Organizations–and have been in business long enough to build trust with other members.
If they sell wigs, a Cash Mob may be a bad fit. Why? For a Cash Mob to be successful, the business must appeal to a diverse audience and have a products that apply to as many people as possible. Ideally, a business selected for a Cash Mob offers products for both men and women and offer a variety of products at price points around $20.
They must have space for a Mob and staff to engage and process sales. Maybe this is self-evident. However, some businesses survive with one or two employees, so they aren’t used to getting crowds of people and probably only have one register. If this is the case and you still want to Mob them–make sure to coach them and prepare the business for a Cash Mob.
OK, I get it but shouldn’t we try to help local businesses that are on the verge of closing their doors forever? Businesses on the verge of failure most likely have deeper systemic issues that a Cash Mob can’t address. The business will probably use the money to pay off some urgent bills and then close their doors anyway.
Why should you care what they do with the money? Well, you just spent 2 to 4 weeks planning and executing on a Cash Mob event to try to support your local community and the business closed anyway. You end up with another vacant storefront and it may damage your professional reputation in the eyes of your Cash Mob Sponsors and not really help your local community thrive.
Businesses that meet most or all of these requirements will help make the cash mob event successful. They will call on their local networks to support your efforts and will more than likely be in the community for the long-haul.
Do you know of a business worth mobbing? Contact your local Chamber of Commerce or Business Association and suggest that they organize a Cash Mob or Lunch Mob. We can help or you can Nominate a Local Business for a Cash Mob Here
