Forthcoming Black Friday is one of the most expected holidays for shopaholics. Well… for everyone! No wonder, we all love sales and discounts, and these days people are ready to spend money. But what if you could earn money while everyone else is spending them? Great idea I guess.
Black Friday is the busiest shopping day, right after Thanksgiving. On this day, many stores offer highly encouraged sales, employees give the day off as part of Thanksgiving, buyers get the best deals, and retail businesses make enough sales on this day.
Black Friday is the best occasion to shop and save some money. Friday deals usually start in advance of the actual Black Friday and will continue until Cyber Monday. It has become traditionally global now. However, a lot of people get curious about the idea behind Black Friday and how it started.
All right, so let’s get into it!
[lwptoc]Black Friday History – How it started?
History tells that black Friday started in Philadelphia, dating back to 1961. Initially, it was used by the police for heavy pedestrian and traffic that occur after Thanksgiving. It is also referred to the stock market crash on 24 September 1869, when the price of gold dropped, and the markets crashed.
In a research paper, “What’s the Real History of Black Friday?” Pruitt and Sarah shed light on the history of Black Friday. It’s the story of two men, Jay Could and Jim Fisk brought gold as much as they could, with the hope of selling the gold at a high price. On that black Friday, it was it out, sending the stock market into bankruptcy. History 2 (2015).
The paper also claims, that recently another myth has appeared regarding black Friday. It took an ugly twist and refers back to the 1800s when southern plantation owners brought slaves at discount prices after Thanksgiving. However, it is believed that this version of Black Friday is only to initiate a boycott of retail holidays, as it has no basis. (Pruitt, Sarah, 2015)
However, history has forgotten, and Black Friday has inspired retailers to open their stores, and race to catch up on sales. They started opening as early as possible. Big retail shops such as Walmart, open their store on Thanksgiving evening.
Following Black Friday, retailers have come up with another name “Grey Thursday” to increase their sales and attract more customers who wait the whole year to get products at discounted prices.
Besides history, the important thing is to know about the upcoming deals in 2023
Best Black Friday deals to expect in 2021
According to Adobe Analytics, the year 2021 will continue to follow last year’s trend in sales offering discounts on times that are needed by consumers, however, there will be more online competition. According to reports, there was an almost 21% increase in consumer online spending which is the second-largest online spending after Cyber Monday 2021.
It is expected that black Friday 2021, offers similar deals on Apple’s latest devices, such as the Apple Watches, Apple Hot Wheels, Apple Air pods, and iPads. It is also predicted that Amazon will offer deals on kitchen appliances and the hottest toys.
Here are a few Best Early Black Friday deals 2023
What else can we expect by Black Friday 2023 – Amazon Black Friday Deals:
- MacBook Air Black Friday Deals: November but it could be part of exclusive deals. Models like the 13-inch MacBook Air M1 and the 15-inch MacBook Air M2 may see significant discounts, potentially dropping to $699 and $999, respectively. This would be a $50 and $100 reduction compared to their lowest price points in 2023.
- iPhone Black Friday Deals: The release date for the iPhone 15 is set for September 22, and there are already enticing iPhone 15 offers available that provide Apple’s latest flagship devices at no cost. Of course, these offers typically require standard requirements such as trading in your old phone and/or subscribing to an unlimited plan.
- Apple Watch Black Friday Deals: 2023 has brought some remarkable Apple Watch deals. Currently, the Apple Watch 8 is available at an unprecedented low price of $279, down from its usual $399. Similarly, the Apple Watch SE 2022 can be acquired for just $199, reduced from $249. Also, keep an eye on the previous-generation Apple Watch 8, which may drop to $279 or even lower as retailers aim to clear out remaining stock.
- 55-inch 4K TVs Black Friday Deals: In 2023, we can expect significant discounts on big-screen TVs starting at $179 and QLED TVs starting from $399. During the past summer, Amazon offered its 43-inch Omni 4K Fire TV for an astonishingly low $99, setting a new record as the most affordable 4K TV. However, this deal was exclusive and by invitation only.
- Kitchen Appliances Black Friday Deals: Brands like Ninja and KitchenAid can offer significant price reductions on compact and substantial kitchen appliances during the upcoming holiday season.
Last year on Black Friday, Walmart allowed shoppers to come in around 5 AM, and it is expected that this year they’ll open up again to accommodate those who want to save.
Some of the best places to find Black Friday deals include:
10 proven ways to make money on Black Friday 2023 holidays
1. Affiliate sales
This is one of the most effective, fast, and highly popular ways to make money on Black Friday. The process is quite simple and fast. This is how it works:
- You register on Amazon
- Pick up a product or a list of products
- Create advertising or write a product review (if you are a blogger)
- Make sales!
The secret here lies in the right products to be selected to have more chances of making a good profit. This step will take some time for a Google search.
According to the Statistics Portal, the retail industry has been considerably growing over the last few years. Finding trending niche products can become pure gold during the Black Friday holidays. Just imagine how many opportunities you have to make an income while everyone else is spending money preparing for the winter holidays.
2. Sell your service
If you are an expert in a particular niche, Black Friday is a perfect time to boost sales and attract more attention to your personal brand. Create an offer with a discount that will be valid for a limited period of time and let people know about it.
Read also: How to start an event planning business
Here is an example: Say, you are a personal trainer and sell training and consulting services. Create package options for 5 or 10 personal training with a discount and promote your offer on Instagram and Facebook. Such a strategy works well for beginners and experienced trainers.
3. Handmade Goods
If you create something with your hands, you can start selling it. Remember that people are ready to purchase the goods they were planning to buy as well as something they never bought before. Black Friday is a perfect opportunity to showcase your talent. Use social media to create an attractive selling offer and start promoting it in advance. And no matter whether you make jewelry or create wooden backgammon, you have all the chances to skyrocket sales and get lots of loyal clients for the future. Here is the list of the platforms where you can sell your handmade items:
So, what is your product?
4. Buy and Re-sell
To make money on Black Friday you can be a buyer too. Take advantage of holiday deals to buy goods at a discounted price. Lots of people will not have time to go shopping these days and your sales offer can be a good fit for them later. This step needs some investment in buying goods, but still, it can bring you much more in return. You can also try a drop shipping strategy here that doesn’t require any investment from you. All you need is to find a drop shipping partner and start selling.
Read more about starting a dropshipping business and where to search for partners.
5. Digital Goods
Digital products bring millions of dollars to people all around the world. That is why most bloggers and online entrepreneurs make money online selling digital goods. If you are one of them, congratulations! Make a deal and be prepared to boost your sales this month. Here is the list of the most popular digital goods to make money with during Black Friday:
- E-books;
- Online courses;
- Software/web applications;
- Music and Podcasts
- Design templates/website themes / social media templates
- Photography
- Documents templates
If you are ready with your product, here is the list of the best platforms you can use for Black Friday / Cyber Monday deals:
- E-books – Amazon, Blurb, Lulu
- Online courses – Udemy, Teachable, Kajabi, Skillshare
- Software – E-bay, Amazon, ClickBank, PayLoadz
- Music and Podcasts – Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play, Amazon Music, Tidal
- Design templates and website templates – MOJOthemes, TemplateCloud, Shopify
- Photography – Shutterstock, iStock, Getty Images, Depositphotos
- Documents templates – Creative Market
6. Organize a coupon service
While Black Friday is the time of active discounts it is a great opportunity for you to help brands to meet their clients by offering a coupon service and making some cash. Build a website with a catalog of coupons offered by brands and drive some traffic.
Here is the value you can give by implementing such a project:
- People will have an opportunity to find the deals they love
- Brands will get an additional promo
- You will get some money by promoting brands
7. Create Black Friday marketing campaigns
Start a small marketing agency helping brands launch Black Friday campaigns. If you have the design or developing skills you have even more opportunities for making money. Otherwise, collaborate with experts who will help you to close the deals and launch marketing campaigns for your clients.
8. Become a virtual assistant
The period of Black Friday is hot and the most profitable for businesses that offer discounts and sales. It is the time when entrepreneurs need special support and more resources than ever. Use this opportunity to make money as a virtual assistant.
Some of the tasks you can help with:
- Social media marketing
- Blog content writing
- Creative banners design
- Research
- Make presentations
- Create / transcript videos
- Moderate webinars/masterclasses
9. Provide a delivery service
Since Black Friday sales are limited in time people would love to be at many places at the same time. It is a perfect opportunity for you to make money by providing a delivery service locally.
10. Become a personal shopper
Charge fee for being a personal shopper and helping people to avoid the stress of standing in queues for them. In addition, you can bring even more value by doing marketing research creating a list of the best Black Friday deals on the market, and providing this list to your clients.
Black Friday FAQs
When is Black Friday 2023
Black Friday 2023 is on the November, 24. So we have some days to go. Prepare for deals, make a list, do research, and get to know the best offers. Mark up your calendar for this day. However, also keep in mind that retailers usually start their offers before Black Friday, and keep it even when Black Friday ends.
When is Cyber Monday 2023
Cyber Monday 2023 falls on 27 November this year. It refers to the e-commerce transactions that take place after Thanksgiving. It aims to encourage people to go online shopping.
Is Cyber Monday better than Black Friday?
There are a lot of things to consider to differentiate among them, however, Cyber Monday is best for tech deals and smaller gifts and focuses on online shopping. Meanwhile, Black Friday is better for buying new arrivals, and big-ticket items, and the best time to shop in stores, however, you can also buy online products on Black Friday.
A final thought on Black Friday
No matter, what history black Friday holds, it has become a new sensation for shopping around the globe. It brings profit to both retailers and consumers. Retailers who suffer losses throughout the year can get some profit, and consumers can buy products that usually do not fit their budget. The best strategy is to keep an eye on the big retail shops and brands, and get info about the deals, and remain active.
And I hope that this Black Friday brings more beneficial offers to the consumers, and engages the community through optimistic and realistic marketing.
Tetiana is a business coach and owner of IStartHub, a business media for ambitious female entrepreneurs and small business owners.