We put together some actions you can take:
Use your social media audience to support small businesses.
Make an effort not only to buy local but also to post about it on your social accounts and spread the word. Word of mouth recommendations can go a long way, too. Have a friend looking to purchase a gift? Recommend a local gift shop. Most small businesses have online shops, so geography doesn’t matter.
Buy essentials at your local family-owned shops.
Even if the price is a bit more than what you’d usually pay, you can rest assured that your hard-earned cash is more beneficial in the hands of local store owners than corporate giants. Remember that mom and pop shops can get hit hard with steep rent expenses for their stores. Even if they seem to be doing well, you never know how many expenses they’re dealing with.
Consider participating in crowd-funding.
Crowdfunding is defined as the act of funding a project by raising small amounts of money from a large number of people. In terms of helping small businesses, this can be an extremely viable way to lend a helping hand. Why not assist with building the long-term financial foundations of your favorite small businesses in your community?
Purchase gift cards.
Even if you don’t feel comfortable physically supporting a business, like a nail salon or hairdresser, you can buy gift certificates for yourself for the future and/or for friends. You may have already heard of this simple tactic to help small businesses stay afloat, which was particularly popular in the worst of the lockdown is hopefully over. It’s still useful today.
Unfortunately, many small businesses are feeling the continued impact of decreased revenue due to COVID-19. Since new entrepreneurial ventures don’t always have the strongest emergency fund or access to governmental resources yet, they rely on community support. It’s time to step up to the plate if you haven’t already. It’s a win-win situation because supporting family-owned businesses help boost the overall economy. Encourage your family and friends to do the same and buy local. Every referral counts!
Take a look at the graphic below from The Zebra to learn more examples of how to support small businesses during the pandemic.
Source: The Zebra
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