Supporting small businesses is a great way to strengthen your local community. If the businesses within it are strong and healthy, they will be able to provide for the community’s needs and put money back into it. Since small businesses are so varied, there are many different ways to support them. If you want to encourage your whole family to support small businesses in your community, here are five ways to do so.
Leave Good Reviews
If you love a business, give them a good review online. There are many review sites where you can post your experience and encourage others to give them a try. You can also do this on social media, posting for your followers about how much you enjoy this business. Small businesses often have limited marketing funds, so word of mouth can be a lifesaver for them.
Give Second Chances
If you have a bad experience with a local business, don’t go straight to leaving a negative review. Unlike big corporations, small businesses won’t have a lot of reviews. Your single one-star review could have consequences for them. Instead, give them another chance to give your family what you need. Many small businesses have to deal with internal problems. An accounting industry overview showed that 36% of small businesses have timeline issues. Meanwhile, others feel unprepared, with 32% saying they don’t have enough guidance, 29% feeling that their accountant didn’t provide advice, and 23.6% saying their accountant didn’t educate them. With problems like this, there are bound to be some negative experiences. But if your family wants to support small businesses, try to give them a second chance to make it right.
Shop Online
If you find a small business to support, but can’t get to their physical location, try shopping online instead. Not only will it be easier for you, it will also give them a good idea of what people need from them. Over the next 12 months, businesses will overpay for three-quarters of their IT purchases. If your local small business runs a strong online market, they will be able to recoup those costs. Meanwhile, your family can support them and make purchases without leaving the house.
Switch Where You Can
While you might not be able to fulfill all your needs through small businesses, you might be surprised at what you can do. Small businesses are much more than just stores. In fact, 80% of the 322,488 clinical laboratories in the US are operated as small businesses. Look at what your family needs, then consider if a local small business can provide it for you.
Leave Tips
If you and your family go to a small business and have a wonderful experience, be generous with your tips. This is especially true for restaurants, where the waitstaff is nearly entirely reliant on tips in order to make money. While the standard for tipping is generally 20%, you might be able to offer more occasionally. These tips are good for both the small business’s financial health and as a morale boost. So, while it isn’t necessary to leave huge tips every time you’re out, make sure that you’re budgeting it into your plans as often as possible.
Small businesses face a lot of challenges, so it is important to support them in your community. There are many ways for your whole family to do this, no matter what kind of budget you have. So take a look at the businesses in your area and decide how you want to support them. Then apply these five tips. You might be surprised at the difference that your family can make.