COVID-19 has changed our way of living is the understatement of the century. Even amidst uncertainty and crisis, a feeling of solidarity has emerged and shown us how the little things in life matter. Everyone has been affected in some way or the other. One of the worst-hit are the small and local businesses. Here are 5 tips on how we can support them in this time of need.
Support your farmer’s market and local stores
Even before the pandemic hit us, buying from and supporting local businesses was still encouraged. It is important now more than ever to buy from them because they need our help in running their businesses. Buy produce at the local farmer’s market not only because they sell fresh but also because we need to support them. Their produce is grown ethically and contains no harmful additives. Fruits and vegetables we find at the grocery store are often several days old. In most cases, the owner of the stand at the farmer’s market picked it the same morning, so you know the food is as fresh as you can get it from your own kitchen garden. It is organic and not genetically modified.
Purchase a gift voucher
Services like spas, local dine-in restaurants and speciality stores are not something people can enjoy at a time like this. However, they need the income to keep the business running, pay their employees or adjust the store to the new reopening guidelines set by the government. A good way to help them out would be to purchase a gift certificate and use it later. It also doubles as a good gift to someone.
Shop online at local boutiques
Shopping from big brands online is certainly convenient and cheap mainly because of the kind of deals and coupons they offer. But they are not the ones actually making big losses. It is our small and local businesses that are suffering due to the lockdown. Support a local boutique by purchasing clothes from them, support local stores when buying home decor, stationery, hardware and other items to give them a boost. Most of them have discounts and other deals that we can avail off. Chances are you might even get customized services from them.
Spread the word and leave a review
We have all been at a place where we enjoyed something or some service and had every intention to leave a review. This is a good time to do it. Tagging a local service on social media, leaving a review on facebook or yelp gives an additional push to local stores.
Tip extra
If you can afford to tip someone a few extra bucks, make sure to do it. At a time like this, there are people who work with home delivery, drive thrus, and curbside pick ups. They are the ones who are constantly risking themselves while trying to make things easier for us. It is a good idea to supplement their income with some generous tips to show our appreciation. Every little gesture, every little help and every little thought matters. With business models changing and new trends emerging, we as consumers have to change the way we shop. It is up to us to support the revival of small businesses so that we can enjoy their services after the pandemic passes.
Blog Image Credit: Tim Mossholder on Unsplash
Written By Kritika Rao
