Ways to Support Small Businesses

Small businesses are a vital part of the economy, generating about 44% of the economic activity in the United States. Plus, they employ nearly 50% of US workers. Every time you show your support for these small businesses, you are helping to maintain local jobs and improve local communities. If you want to support the small businesses in your area, check out these five ways you can help them thrive.

How to Support Small Businesses Without Spending Money

There are many ways to give back to small businesses, some of which don’t require you to spend any money. We will highlight these free ways here.

Write Reviews

One easy thing you can do after visiting a small business for the first time is to write a review. Reviews help spread the word about the business and encourage new customers to visit. To write a review, you can use platforms such as Yelp, Google, or Facebook. Many people look at reviews before they make a purchase from a new business, so if you’ve had a great experience with a small business, share it! Plus, taking the time to write a review is a small gesture that can make a big difference to a business trying to establish itself.

Engage on Social Media

Social media is likely an important part of any small business’s marketing strategy. The actions you take every day online could be very important to them. So, follow the small businesses you want to support on social media and engage with their content. This includes sharing their posts, leaving comments, and tagging your friends. These actions not only help to build a community around the business, but it also increases their visibility, ultimately translating into more sales. Plus, engaging with them benefits you because you’ll be able to also keep up with their latest products, services, and promotions.

Refer Friends and Family

A common trend you can see in the above suggestions is how important it is to spread the word about a business. When you have a positive experience, make sure to tell your friends and family about it. Word of mouth is incredibly powerful, particularly when it comes from friends and family members. If someone trusts your recommendation, they’ll be much more likely to visit the business themselves. You can also encourage your friends and family to shop locally in general. Even if they don’t live near you, you can spread the importance of shopping locally to support their own local economies.

Be Patient and Kind

Small businesses are typically run by a small team of people. Sometimes, they may even be run solely by the owners, with no other employees. Whenever you visit, remember that these are people who are doing their best to make a living. They may not have the same resources and capabilities as larger corporations. Patience and understanding can go a long way as you are interacting with them. In addition, share your appreciation of the unique products and services they offer and have compassion for the challenges they may be facing. By being patient and kind, you’ll help support small business owners during tough times, giving them the courage and energy to keep going.

How to Support Small Businesses While Spending Money

When you want to support small businesses, the number one thing that comes to mind for most people is spending money. These are some ways you can support local businesses if you have money to spend. 

Shop Locally

Often, small businesses offer high-quality and unique products that you can’t get anywhere else. They could even be better products and services than you can find from larger companies. By shopping at locally owned businesses, you’re investing in the local economy and helping small business owners succeed. 

Purchase Gift Cards

Maybe you can’t find the right gift for someone at the moment. Or maybe you want to ensure that a friend or family member visits this small business soon. How can you do that? By purchasing – and gifting – a gift card. This way, you’re helping the business to stay afloat during tough times, and the person receiving the gift card can patronize the store at a later time.

Buy Online

Many small businesses have now pivoted to online sales channels to stay afloat. This means that now, you can support them from the comfort of your own home. This is even the case if you’ve moved away from the area, but still want to support a local business. Take advantage of the ability (when possible) to purchase from them online and get the items shipped to your home. Buying online from small businesses allows them to continue to work and helps to support their families, employees, and communities.

Support Small Businesses All Year Round

Small businesses need our support now more than ever. Leaving positive reviews, engaging on social media, purchasing gift cards are just a few ways you can make supporting small businesses an important part of your life. These small steps might not seem like much, but they can go a long way in helping small businesses survive and thrive. You can feel confident that when you spend money at these businesses, that money gets put back into the community. So the next time you’re looking to make a purchase, consider going local. Your support could make all the difference for a small business owner, their family, and their employees.

Marketing Help for Small Businesses

If you are a small business owner yourself and are looking for help in getting the word out about your business, 98 Buck Social is here to help. We have many services that can save you time, money, and resources while still seeing great results. Our social media marketing packages can eliminate one thing from your to-do list every day. Or, our paid advertising service could help you acquire new leads for your business. Finally, try text message marketing to engage your current customers and keep them coming back.