Supporting Small Businesses: What You Need to Know

Happy winter! We hope everyone is having a safe and relaxing December. During this time of year, many individuals take the opportunity to try and give back, whether it be to their family, their friends, or even their community. This year has been exceptionally difficult for small businesses and, by supporting them, you can actually give back to all three! You may wonder though, how can I do that? Well, here is a list of some of the ways you can help support small businesses and entrepreneurs:

Shop locally.

One of the first things you can do this time of year to support small business is to shop locally. Look for small businesses in your area that you can do your shopping at. Take the time to see what businesses in your community have to offer. You’ll be surprised at how many special hidden gems you’ll find!

Promote small businesses on your social media/with family and friends.

Being vocal on social media or with family and friends about local small businesses can be much more powerful than you think. Even if you only have a small following or only share it with a few individuals, every single new person that is informed about a business is another new potential customer. Your voice makes a difference.

Purchase gift certificates.

Gift cards and certificates are a great way to encourage individuals to return to small businesses. If you have a certificate set aside for a specific shop, you’ll be much more likely to shop there over anywhere else. They are super easy gifts that are still thoughtful and personal. Here at 100K we actually recently released e-gift cards, making supporting the entrepreneurs in your life even easier!

Have patience and be understanding.

Try to be understanding of small businesses during this time. This pandemic has caused many unforeseen issues that they are attempting to work around. Your patience and understanding when shopping small businesses can mean the world.

Try to avoid E-commerce and check for online shopping with small businesses.

The appeal of online bulk shopping can make it difficult to shop local small businesses. However, especially during this pandemic, many small businesses have found ways to make shopping easier, even to the point of not having to physically enter the store at all, providing virtually. Check to see if you can either shop your local businesses online or if you can capitalize on services such as curbside pick-up to make shopping locally easier (and safer).

Your support of small businesses and local entrepreneurs can create the biggest differences, not only for them, but for you and your community. However, your continued support is crucial, especially during these stressful uncertain times. So, keep small businesses in mind when you shop! We hope everyone has a wonderful rest of their year and we’ll see you in 2021!