We are in a time where terms like social distancing and self-quarantine have become the norm. And if you’re like most of us, you are doing your best to balance the safety and wellbeing of yourself and those around you with an obligation to patronize your favorite local businesses.
But there are smart ways to accomplish both and to help spread the word, we have collected a few of our top tips to share as well as a few articles from brands dedicated to supporting our business community.
Shop Local Businesses Online
Ordering from Amazon and Walmart may be convenient but small businesses lack the resources to compete. Many local businesses have online stores in addition to their brick-and-mortar locations. Whenever possible, consider giving them your business. A little patience and a few dollars for shipping could make a big difference to your community. It’s good to keep in mind that when you buy from someone in your community, you’re helping people keep their jobs.
Order Takeout or Delivery
Your favorite restaurants may have had to shut their doors, but many of them still offer takeout or delivery. Not only does that keep the business going, it also provides income for delivery drivers. Services like Grubhub and DoorDash have sent information to customers and drivers to help ensure safe–and in some cases, contact-less–deliveries.
Buy Gift Cards
Want to inject some cash into a small business right now? Buy a gift card. Even if you aren’t buying anything else because you’re stuck at home, you can give your local shops or favorite restaurant a vote of confidence by spending even $25 on a gift card to use later, when life returns to normal.
If you have any ideas for supporting small businesses in your community, please let us know. Or if you have a small business that could benefit from some thoughts on marketing in our current environment, let’s talk.
