How To Support Small Businesses This Holiday Season (And Beyond)
12/15/2020

The holidays are a great time to support local small businesses, especially this year when they need it more than ever. This gives us the opportunity to shop for things that we normally wouldn’t be buying throughout the year. Supporting small businesses does great things for the local economy as well! It’s a win win for you and your gift recipients. Here are some ways in which you can support the small and/or local businesses in your area.


There Are More Small Businesses Than You Think. Shopping Around Pays Off

There are over 30 million small businesses in the United States and they account for over 90% of ALL businesses operating here right now. That means that if you look around you, 9 out of 10 businesses in your community are considered small businesses. You just have to know where to look. It’s easy to get drawn into habits of shopping at big box stores and one stop shops for your daily needs, but with a little leg work, you could find everything you need through small businesses as well. If you sit down with your phone or computer before your next round of errands, you could most likely get everything you need done by using small businesses instead of mega corporations. 


Shout Out Local And Small Businesses On Social Media

You can support your local businesses in more ways than just by shopping there. If you have a local business that you just love or have had good experiences with, then take a moment to give them a Google review and to share your story on your social media profiles. The Google review will help get them more traffic through Google searches and by singing their praises on social media you can turn more people toward shopping there for their next purchase rather than at a big box store. Easy and free for you and it can make a huge impact on a local small business.


Shop Local And/Or Small When It Comes To Company Bonuses

Do you own a company yourself or do you work for a company that does bonuses or contests? You could encourage your company to offer gift certificates to local small businesses instead. It’s a great way to stimulate the local economy and allow your co-workers or employees to get to know local businesses they may not have tried before. Works great for restaurants, local theme parks or arcades, and all things handmade. 


Encourage Your Friends And Family To Shop Local And Small Businesses

The holidays are a great time to try new and creative ways to get the perfect gift for a loved one. Why not challenge yourself to do all of your holiday shopping at local businesses and encourage your friends and family to do the same? With few exceptions, there isn’t anything that you can’t find locally that you were going to buy at WalMart or Amazon anyway. Find a local book store or craft store and you could secure at least half of your holiday shopping at those two stores alone. You can even shop small online! Just think of local stores that you’d like to support and Google their names. Most of the time they will have an online store or a way for you to place a delivery order by phone. They will be glad you spent your money with them instead of on Amazon and you can still get your gifts quickly in the mail. Have fun and good luck!