9 Ways We Can Support Small Businesses
Why are small businesses important?
Small businesses are important because they help the economy of the city they are in. Small businesses hire local residents and residents on the outskirts of the city. I have been guilty of not supporting small businesses as I should. A lot of my lunch and dinner money went to franchises and restaurants that aren’t a part of my immediate community. So, I made a vow to myself that going forward I want to support small businesses in my community to help the local community thrive. Here are 9 ways that we can help small businesses.
Listen to guidelines- If you are asked to wear a mask or social distance. Help the business out and just listen. If we want to continue to move forward and grow as a community, we need to work with one another to make sure that we respect each other and the preference set by the business. We have to keep each other safe as well as those who rely on the small business for work.
Eat at local small businesses- Sometimes we like to eat out at franchise restaurants like Golden Corral or Applebees, but some franchises do not reinvest into our communities. Sometimes if you want to eat out, you can support a small business that can suit your evening needs. If you want to grab lunch, get lunch at a local restaurant and grab your coffee from a local coffee shop, if there is one in your city.
Tip- THIS IS HUGE…Please tip the waiters/waitresses. We can do better as a community to tip better. If we tip better, it will not only help some of our local businesses but also help the waiters who rely on tips to pay some of their bills and put food on their table.
Promote local small businesses on your website- If you have a business website of your own, you can feature a local business on your page, as long as they aren’t the competition… lol. When someone visits your website, they will be able to learn about the other local businesses in your area. You can also feature a business every week if you have a lot of traffic on your website.
Donate to the business- If you want to give a little more than just a tip, you can write a check and donate the funds to the business. Also, you can give cash as well. This will help the business to have some flexibility to help cover the business expenses during the rainy days when they may need a helping hand financially.
Plan a networking event at a small business- This is my favorite on this list! If you are looking to have a networking function, try scheduling an event at the business by renting out an area in the restaurant or bar. This can give the business a lot of new customers and can be a great local event for the community.
Share the menus/product online- Share the local business's menu or product on your social media accounts. You can even do some polls to find out what some of the favorite, drinks, flowers, dishes are, etc. Also don’t forget to share this information with the local business so that they can use that feedback and create some new ideas.
If you have a YouTube channel, interview some local businesses- If you have a YouTube channel. Reach out to the manager or owner of the small business and schedule an interview. This can be a great way for others to learn about the history of the local business and the plans of the business going forward.
Support delivery services- If you are unable to make it to the business because of your work schedule, use the small businesses' delivery service of choice. Is it more expensive? Yes, it may be, but at least you know you are getting your order while also supporting a local small business.
Bonus-
Donate to the charities of your local businesses- Some of our local small businesses have particular charities they make donations to. It’s a great way to give back and network with other small businesses who may donate to the same charities.
Ask how you can help- If you’re not sure how you can help your local small business, it's okay to ask the manager/owner. They know exactly what they need and can share that information with you.
Thank you for reading my post “9 Ways We Can Support Small Businesses”. As a community I believe if we can support our local sports teams without hesitation, we should be able to support our small businesses the same way. I will make sure I do my best to support the small businesses in my local area. Due to the pandemic some of our local businesses are struggling and some have even closed. Meanwhile many of the big business franchises are still up and running. As a community we cannot allow our local business to suffer. What are some more ways you think we can support small businesses? Please share your comments below. If you enjoyed this post, share, and subscribe. Please feel free to share and follow me on social media as well!