Getting PR for your small business can be very challenging for many startups and even businesses that have been around for several years. Often times the most difficult aspect of getting PR for your small business is in finding PR opportunities. In the PR Toolkit for Small Business we talk about ways startups and entrepreneurs can effectively do small business public relations. Here are 27 opportunities to get small business public relations in the month of January. Each opportunity is a recorded event that takes place during the month, followed by an example of how it can be used to get public relations.

1: Apple And Apricots Month - A bakery offers delectable recipes to the local newspaper food section on new ways to use Apples and Apricots in home baking.

2: Artichoke And Asparagus Month - A local restaurant or chef may use a similar approach talking about artichokes and asparagus. Or perhaps a chef can talk about ways to get kids to try or eat artichokes and asparagus.

3: Bath Safety Month - A plumbing company or baby-proofing expert can talk about bath safety for infants, kids or even senior citizens.

4: Be Kind To Food Servers Month - A restaurant can do a story on “Server Rage,” or ways to be more kind to your server and showcase how hard they work to make your dining experience more enjoyable.

5: Birth Defects Month - This is an excellent chance for a pediatrician to offer up some information and tips on birth defects.

6: Book Blitz Month - A great opportunity for local libraries or small book stores to shine a spotlight on printed books.

7: California Dried Plum Digestive Month - Local doctors can use this angle to promote good health with dried plums.

8: Cervical Cancer Screening Month - More opportunities for doctors or health organizations that want to raise awareness for cervical cancer and the importance of early screening.

9: Financial Wellness Month - Local financial planners can put together tips on how to get your families budget in order.

10: Get Organized Month - A great chance for companies that offer space-saving furniture or products on offering tips and doing home remodeling stories.

11: International Creativity Month - Schools can do a contest with their kids on how to be the most creative they possibly can. A perfect visual story for local television reporters on the weekend.

12: International New Years Resolutions Month For Businesses - A great way for local businesses to pool together and do a story on their New Years’ resolutions and updates on their resolutions from last year.

13: International Quality Of Life Month - Self-help coaches can use this opportunity to do a story offering tips on how people can elevate their quality of life.

14: International Wealth Mentality Month - Financial planners or local community banks can do a story on the psychology of gaining wealth.

15: National Child Centered Divorce Awareness Month - Local organizations that cater to kids in family distress can leverage this angle to raise awareness of their cause.

16: National Clean Up Your Computer Month - Home computer repair businesses can build a story on eliminating the fear of cleaning up your computer.

17: National Glaucoma Awareness Month - A wonderful opportunity for local doctors to do a story on glaucoma and new trends affecting patients.

18: National Hot Tea Month - Local coffee shops can shine a spotlight on the world of tea and talk about all the exotic types of tea they may offer.

19: National Mail Order Gardening Month - Local nurseries can approach the home and garden section of daily newspapers or magazines and talk about ways home gardeners can order products from their nursery through the mail.

20: National Mentoring Month - There are thousands of mentoring groups all over the country and this story could be developed in an effort to raise awareness on the good work they do for kids and families.

21: National Personal Self-Defense Month - Local karate centers or other self-defense experts can do a story on the importance of learning self defense.

22: National Skating Month - Local ice skating rinks don’t often have a chance to get into the news so here’s a wonderful opportunity to showcase some of the classes or clinics they offer to the local communities. Finding small business public relations opportunities that are difficult to conceive is a critical element found within the PR Toolkit for Small Business.

23: National Soup Month - A great angle for local soup kitchens or cafes that offer non-traditional soups to customers.

24: National Volunteer Blood Donor Month - This angle can work in favor of local organizations always trying to drum up awareness to get more people to come out and donate blood.

25: Oatmeal Month - Any restaurants that serve oatmeal for breakfast can take this opportunity to say breakfast isn’t just about bagels and eggs.

26: Self-Help Group Awareness Month - Self-help experts can take advantage of this angle to discuss the importance of doing group therapy.

27: Thyroid Awareness Month - Local doctors can do a story on important new trends involving the thyroid in an effort to raise awareness.

Being creative in public relations is similar to being creative on the business side of any startup. For more ideas on how to get PR for your business download a copy of the PR Toolkit for Small Business today.

What events in January are you planning a story around for your business? Please leave a comment and share with us here.

John Sternal is co-founder of Sternal Consulting, a PR and marketing consultancy helping businesses get noticed through publicity in the media. He is the author of the PR Toolkit for Small Business and currently authoring a book about DIY public relations for small business owners. For questions email John Sternal.