After two years of reduced contact following the pandemic, Halloween feels like it’s finally back. Tonight, kids will hit the streets, going house to house in search of the most and best candy, while on the other end, many adults will sit by their doors awaiting waves of candy-driven superheroes, princesses, athletes, and inflatable characters.

For the firearms industry, Halloween is just another day, but there’s still something to be learned from the ghostly and ghoulish holiday. In the spirit of Halloween, below are three trick-or-treat tips for FFLs.

As a firearms business, your costume and decorations are your marketing efforts. Behind every gun produced or sold is your brand – your identity – made up of everything from your logo and packaging to your website and social media. Of course, your products and services should be top priority, but your marketing should be a close second. If you want to compete or grow your business, a recycled costume and boring décor simply isn’t going to stand out.

Get the Good Candy
Not all Halloween candy is created equal. You may have your favorite chocolate bar or sweet treat, but everyone knows good candy from bad candy – and we’re not just talking about size.

For FFLs, buy the good candy. Stock the firearms customers want to buy. Upgrade to the more modern machinery and software. Add the product features gun owners have been asking for. Like the house in the neighborhood giving out full size candy, fulfilling needs of both your customers and your business is a sure way to find success. Even if you can only afford one bag of the good stuff, consider it an investment for the future.

Plan Your Route
As a kid, Halloween is measured in the candy you come home with. Put simply, the more houses you hit in the least amount of time, the more houses you can stop at and the more candy you can get. But to do so, you first needed to plan your route.

Every business needs a plan. What will you sell? How will you sell it? Who is your customer base? What is the value proposition? These are the basic questions every business must ask themselves. But what happens when your candy bag rips, or your friends get tired earlier than expected – when your plan doesn’t go as planned? With competition high and margins thin, your FFL must be able to adapt and plan a new route.

If you follow these three tips, you, your kids, and your FFL will have a successful Halloween and business. Eat lots of candy and stay safe out there!