Back-to-school season for businesses that do not sell school supplies
Photo: Avila Ops Tecnologia
Back-to-school season, in late January and early February in Brazil, is not a stationery-store occasion. It is the week every family with children reorganizes schedules, transportation, meals, healthcare, and money. Any business solving one of these five things has a sale to make, provided it talks about the family’s problem rather than notebooks.
The common mistake is ignoring the occasion because “I have nothing to do with school,” or copying stationery stores with a pointless promotion. The right question: what changes in my customer’s routine when school starts, and what do I already sell that helps?
Who has something to sell that week?
| Business type | What changes for families | What to offer |
|---|---|---|
| Salon, barbershop | Haircuts before photos and the first day | Reserved children’s appointments the preceding week, booked through WhatsApp |
| Restaurant, prepared meals | Lunch for people unable to cook at noon anymore | Weekly meal plans, recurring orders, delivery aligned with school hours |
| Pediatrician, dentist, eye doctor | Certificates, eye exams, routine assessments schools request | Appointments in the last week of January, reminders to last year’s patients |
| School transportation, driver | Seats, routes, contracts | Waitlists, digital contracts, recurring Pix billing |
| Gym, swimming, judo, English | Afternoon activities, enrollment | Trial classes the first week, website enrollment |
| Auto repair, car wash | Cars returning to daily use | Return-to-routine inspections by appointment |
| Seamstress, clothing store | Uniform alterations, embroidered names | Quick alteration services, notified to previous uniform buyers |
| Accountant, finance | Tuition, supplies, IPVA and IPTU early in the year | January planning, installments, guidance |
The middle column matters. If you can fill your row, you have an offer. If not, this occasion is not yours.
How do you offer without sounding forced?
Talk about the problem, not the occasion. “Back to school: 10% off” says nothing to a mother. “Children’s haircuts by appointment the week before school, no waiting” does.
Use the list you already have. People buying last back-to-school season are likely to need you again. A personal WhatsApp message ten days before school starts, to opted-in customers, costs nothing. “Hi, Carla. Pedro’s school starts on the 2nd, right? I reserved haircut slots the week before. Shall I book one?” That is using your contact list, which is why it exists.
To reach people outside the list, use a short Meta ad targeting the neighborhood and leading to WhatsApp: avilaops.com/guias/como-usar-meta-ads-para-gerar-leads-no-whatsapp. But only after messaging your list, because it responds better and costs nothing.
What should you prepare before offering?
The offer concentrates demand into one week. If customers can book only by calling, a busy phone loses them. Prepare:
- A way to book or order independently: scheduling link, website form, online store order, or at least a WhatsApp Business greeting asking what they need and when.
- Quick answers to the three questions everyone will ask: price, available times, payment methods.
- Records of who ordered, to contact again midyear and next back-to-school season. This repeats every year; this season’s list starts next season’s sales.
Put it into your annual plan, a one-year digital plan that fits on one page, as the calendar’s first peak. The method applies to other occasions: what changes for customers, and what you already sell that helps.
What to do now
Fill your table row today. If you have an offer, write a WhatsApp message for opted-in contacts and send it ten days before school starts in your city. Check whether customers can book or order without calling. If not, that is the bottleneck Avila Ops resolves before the next occasion: describe your business; the assessment is on us: avilaops.com/jornada or contact us on WhatsApp: wa.me/5517997811471.
Frequently asked questions
When does back-to-school season begin?
It depends on the school system and city. Private schools usually return in late January; public schools in February. Confirm your city’s calendar and count back ten days: that is when the message goes out.
Must I offer discounts?
No. The offer is convenience: reserved times, correctly timed deliveries, short turnaround. Families that week pay for time, not discounts. Discount only to clear stagnant stock.
What if my company truly has nothing to do with school?
Do not force it. Businesses serving only other businesses or people without children should save their effort for a relevant occasion.
Turn what you learned into your next step.
Tell us about your company and what you want to improve. We can explore the right tools, integrations or custom project together.