Community First: 5 Ways to Support Small Businesses in Your City

Supporting small businesses can be a great way to help your local community.

People start businesses for a variety of reasons, but small businesses often have a hard time growing because of a lack of support. Although there are many ways to shop local, you’ll need to do more than purchase products from a small business to support them.

When you support small businesses in your area, you’ll help the local economy and make the business get popular. We’ve put together a list of several things you can do to start supporting them!

Keep on reading to learn about 5 ways to support small businesses!

1. Check for Delivery Options

One of the first things you should do if you’d like to support small businesses is check if a business has delivery options. Whether you’d like to buy something from a restaurant or retail store, getting something delivered will save you time and the business can earn more money.

For example, if you order food from a restaurant, you may be charged a delivery fee, especially for deliveries same day. On top of that, the driver can earn extra money because you can provide them with a tip.

Today, many businesses are struggling to stay open because they have to follow strict rules due to COVID-19. Instead of avoiding shopping altogether, you can get something delivered to your house without putting yourself and others at risk of getting sick.

You can also use something like a same day courier service if a business is open but doesn’t offer delivery services. In this case, you could continue purchasing products whenever you like from the convenience of your home.

2. Purchase Gift Cards

Gift cards are one of the best ways to support local businesses because they can get money upfront. With a gift card, you can get store credit that can be used for anything within that store. These make for great gifts because they’re convenient and don’t require you to keep cash with you.

The only downside to using a gift card for purchases is that you won’t be able to use it for things like tipping a delivery person. However, purchasing these cards for later use will let small businesses stay afloat because they’ve essentially acquired a guaranteed sale.

Businesses that have to close temporarily usually continue selling gift cards because it essentially lets them fundraise in case they have unexpected costs. Rather than making a business wait for you to buy something, you can just buy a gift card ahead of time.

3. Share Posts on Social Media

Social media currently has over 3.5 billion active users. When you share a post, it has the potential of reaching nearly half of the world. Most people underestimate social media, but sharing a post can go a long way, especially for small businesses that are looking to grow.

No matter what social media platform you’re on, you can share content from a small business in some way. Whether you’re sharing one of their posts or mentioning them, they can get more attention from you.

Businesses regularly focus on their social media presence because they can interact with their audiences. If you like what a business is doing, share some of their posts so that others can see them. From there, you can interact with followers to discuss what the business is doing.

Some of the biggest platforms — such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram — let users share photos, videos, and written messages. If you see a post from a small business on one of these platforms, you’ll see an option to share the post directly from it.

4. Keep Updated with What They’re Doing

To effectively support local businesses, you must stay updated with what they’re doing. For example, if a clothing shop starts introducing new clothes, you’ll need to know about them so you can purchase them. If you don’t stay updated, you’ll never know when they’re coming out with new products.

The best way to stay updated with small businesses is to follow them on social media and visit their websites. If they have a newsletter, consider subscribing to it so that you can receive regular updates.

5. Check for Online Services

Many small businesses have a problem with putting too much of their attention to local marketing. While it’s best to target the local market at first, they eventually need to expand online so that they can get proper growth.

You’ll want to check if a business offers online services so that you can purchase more things from them. A clothing store could sell clothing online whereas a computer shop could sell computer parts online.

Whenever you purchase something online, you may have the option to pick it up directly from the store or get it shipped to your house. This won’t matter much when it comes to supporting the business, but it may be best to pick it up from the store. This will let you interact with the employees and you may see something else that interests you.

Now You Know of Several Ways to Support Small Businesses

When you shop local, you’re giving small businesses the chance to get their feet off the ground. With these 5 ways to support small businesses, you can contribute to the success of many businesses in your area.

If you’re keen on supporting small businesses, we recommend you start by purchasing gift cards and sharing their posts on social media.

Browse our articles to learn more about a variety of business-related topics!